Final run from Tomás’s forge in Taos • In 14 active carts • 28 left
Tomás's Porch-Glow Iron Bat Lantern
Tomás's Porch-Glow Iron Bat Lantern
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Tomás's Porch-Glow Iron Bat Lantern
Hand-Hammered in Taos, New Mexico
Tomás Arriaga, 70, has worked iron for 41 years. His right shoulder won’t lift the hammer anymore. These are the last bats he will ever make.
“I don’t want them in a box in somebody’s garage. I want them on a porch, where somebody sits at night and looks up.”
– Tomás Arriaga, blacksmith since 1985What’s in the box
Why it glows the way it does
Head down, wings wrapped around its body, just like a bat sleeping in a barn. “Right side up looks wrong,” Tomás says.
The wings curl into two little cups. A tea light sits in each one, out of the wind, and the glow spills onto the little face.
The rust is not paint. Every bat hangs outside for six weeks in rain and sun. The color keeps getting richer every year.
Every wing is shaped hit by hit. The little dents catch the candlelight, so the whole bat seems to flicker.
About 11 inches tall. You can see it glowing from the end of the driveway.
Tomás lights his every evening from May to October. Summer porch, fall garden, winter fireplace.
“Most people have bats in their neighborhood and never see them. A small light on the porch draws moths, and the moths draw bats within minutes after dusk. Sitting outside quietly for ten minutes near a soft light is still the easiest way for anyone to watch them hunt.”
– Dr. Rachel Ortega, Wildlife Biologist, Albuquerque, NMPerfect for
Tomás’s checklist
- Real iron: no plastic, no resin, no painted-on rust.
- Hammered by hand: about 200 hits for every pair of wings.
- Weathered outside: six weeks in rain and sun before it ships.
- Two candles: standard tea lights fit both wing cups.
- Made to live outside: the color only gets deeper with every season.
30-Day “Porch Light” Guarantee
If the bat doesn’t make you want to sit outside in the evening, send us a short email within 30 days and you get your money back.
Good to know: Every bat is weathered by real rain, so no two have exactly the same color. Candles are not included. Use standard tea lights, never leave burning candles unattended, and hang the bat away from leaves, curtains and anything that can catch fire.
Product details
| Material | Iron, hand-hammered, natural rust finish |
| Size | approx. 10.8 × 6.1 in (27.5 × 16 cm) |
| Candles | 2 standard tea lights (not included) |
| Hanging | Loop on top, fits a porch hook, shepherd’s hook or branch |
| Use | Indoor and outdoor |
| Care | No care needed. Let the weather keep working on it. |
| Made by | Tomás Arriaga, Taos, New Mexico |
| Made so far | 6,000+ bats since 1998 |
The Last Winter
The Last Winter
A note from Tomás’s forge:
Tomás Arriaga has worked iron in the same adobe workshop in Taos, New Mexico since 1985. As a boy he watched the bats fly out of Carlsbad Caverns every summer Friday with his father. Since 1998 he has hammered more than 6,000 of these bats by hand, about 200 hits for every pair of wings, and hung each one outside for six weeks so the rain could give it its color. This February he tore his right shoulder for the second time. His surgeon told him to put the hammer down. These are the last 286 bats from his fence. When they are gone, there will be no more.
Free US Shipping
Free US Shipping
Free shipping across the United States
- Delivery time: 3–5 business days
- Every bat is wrapped by hand and packed in its own box
- Size approx. 10.8 × 6.1 in / 27.5 × 16 cm
- Holds 2 standard tea lights (not included)
- Hanging loop on top, fits a porch hook, shepherd’s hook or branch
- 30-day money-back guarantee — just email info@cedarandtinco.com
Frequently Asked Questions
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Got a question? Here’s how to reach us.
Email us anytime at info@cedarandtinco.com. We answer Monday–Friday 9am–5pm and Saturday 10am–3pm (ET). Whether it’s about your order, where to hang it, or just to say hello — a real person writes back.
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Can I return it if it’s not for me?
Of course. 30-day money-back guarantee. Hang it up, light the candles, sit outside with it for a week, and if it isn’t right for you, email info@cedarandtinco.com within 30 days for a full refund. No questions, and US shipping is free.
How is it made?
How is it made?
Each bat starts as a flat sheet of iron. Tomás cuts out the shape and hammers the wings over the horn of his anvil, about 200 hits per pair, until they curl around into two little cups for the tea lights. Then every bat hangs on the wire along his adobe wall for six weeks in the rain and sun. The rust color is not paint — it is weather. No two bats are exactly the same.