Steampunk Turtle Table Lamp

Sculpture by Skip Dyrda

A steampunk‑inspired turtle table lamp sculpted from plastic clay and wire, finished with a patinaed bronze shell that resembles layered armor. The lamp rises from the top of the shell like a miniature lighthouse, and the turtle glows in shifting colors controlled through a phone app. It’s equal parts whimsical creature and functional light.

Detail Images

I started by building an armature with some very heavy wire.

Here I have the basic turtle shell done, but not all the details, and it looks like I was working on the legs and the tube that would go on top of the shell and surround the light.

Here the turtle mostly finished, but not the paint. Testing out the light. The light can be controlled by an app on a phone.

Here’s the turtle basically finished, including the paint.