Schwung Babylon Libris Large Wall Sconce Light

A Tall Reading Sconce With Two Kinds of Light

The Schwung Babylon Libris Large Wall Sconce is a slender solid brass wall light that does two jobs at once. At the top, a bare opal globe bulb sits in a pair of shallow brass discs and gives a soft ambient glow. At the bottom, a small cylindrical reading light on a pivot throws a tight beam exactly where you need it. Between them runs a single thin rod, fixed to the wall through a round backplate with a brass ball at its centre. It is also a genuinely tall fitting for a wall light, standing 858mm from the tip of the reading light to the top of the bulb, so it is worth measuring your wall before ordering.

Choose Your Finish

The Babylon Libris Large is made in four Schwung finishes:

• Classic Bronze, a dark, softly mottled bronze patina, close to what the photographs show
• Vintage Brass, an aged brass with warm, uneven tone
• Mahogany, a deep reddish brown patina
• Tarnished Silver, a muted, smoky silver

All four are hand applied, so tone and mottling vary from one piece to the next and from the images on screen. The bulb at the top is an opal glass globe and reads as a clean white sphere against any of the finishes.

How It Works

Ambient Light Above, Reading Light Below

The upper light is a 4W E14 LED G45 globe bulb, supplied, held in a double disc shade that shields the eye from the side and lets light spill up and down. The lower reading light is a 3W G9 LED, also supplied, inside a 20mm cylinder that tilts through up to 90 degrees and rotates through up to 135 degrees, so it can be aimed at a book, a bedside table or the floor. Together the two lamps give around 440 lumens, with a warm colour temperature that ranges between 2200K and 3000K.

Mounting and Dimming

The fitting hangs from a 125mm round backplate just 15mm deep, and projects around 189mm from the wall at its widest point. It is dimmable with electronic dimmers only, meaning ELV or trailing edge types; a standard leading edge dimmer should not be used.

We recommend that this fitting is installed by a qualified electrician.

Where It Works Best

Schwung designed the Libris with bedsides, reading corners and hotel rooms in mind. Mounted either side of a bed with the backplate at roughly head height, the upper globe lights the room while the reading spot reaches down to the pillow. Beside an armchair in a timber or stone clad sitting room, as in Schwung's own photographs, the tall rod becomes a quiet vertical line on the wall. The Large version suits rooms with generous ceiling height; the Babylon Libris Medium is the same design at 578mm for lower walls.

Made By Schwung

The Babylon collection is Schwung's most architectural, built from thin brass rods, discs and spheres joined in deliberate compositions. Schwung was founded by Rudi Nijssen, a former antiques dealer, and Dominique Sente, a former goldsmith, and its lights are designed in house and made in solid brass in the brand's workshop in Poland, where each finish is applied by hand.

Good To Know

• This is a tall wall light: 858mm high overall, projecting around 189mm from the wall, with a 125mm diameter backplate. Please check the height against your wall and furniture before ordering.
• Weight: 1.6kg
• Material: solid brass
• Light source: 1 x 4W E14 LED G45 globe bulb and 1 x 3W G9 LED bulb, both included and replaceable
• Light output: approximately 440 lumens combined, 2200K to 3000K warm white
• Reading light tilts up to 90 degrees and rotates up to 135 degrees
• Dimmable with electronic dimmers only (ELV, trailing edge)
• IP rating: IP20, for indoor use only, not suitable for bathroom electrical zones
• Certification: CE
• Warranty: 2 years
• Finishes are hand applied and vary in tone from piece to piece; screens also render colour differently, so please call us if you are unsure before ordering
• Made to order, with a manufacturer lead time of approximately 5 weeks
• Made to order and not returnable unless faulty or damaged
• We recommend all lighting is installed by a qualified electrician

Questions People Ask

How tall is the Babylon Libris Large?
It measures 858mm from the bottom of the reading light to the top of the globe bulb, with a 125mm round backplate, and projects about 189mm from the wall. Allow for that full height when positioning it beside a bed or chair.

Can the reading light be adjusted?
Yes. The small cylinder at the bottom tilts through up to 90 degrees and rotates through up to 135 degrees, so the beam can be directed onto a book or a surface.

Are the bulbs included?
Yes. A 4W E14 LED globe bulb for the upper light and a 3W G9 LED for the reading light are both supplied, and both can be replaced.

What dimmer does it need?
An electronic dimmer, either ELV or trailing edge. Schwung states that the Libris should not be used with other dimmer types.

What is the difference between the Large and the Medium?
The Large is 858mm tall and the Medium is 578mm tall. Both have the same lamps, backplate, finishes and adjustable reading light.

Can I install it myself?
This is a mains voltage wall light and we recommend that it is installed by a qualified electrician.

Overall: 85.8cm H x 18.9cm projection
Backplate: 12.5cm Dia. x 1.5cm H
Reading light tilts up to 90 degrees and rotates up to 135 degrees

We offer free standard delivery on orders within the UK Mainland* (an additional fee applies for the Isle of Wight, the Isle of Man, the Scottish Isles, parts of Scotland, Northern Ireland, the Republic of Ireland, the Channel Isles and International).

*Collingwood orders under £150 incur a delivery fee of £9.95 inc. VAT.
*Any order under £49 incurs a delivery fee of £9.95.