The Ebony Venetian Art-Craft vase lamp has the paint applied to the inside of the vase that is then fired to fuse the paint to the glass. Once the process is complete and the lamp cooled, the staw pattern as it is knows is hand applied to the outside of the vase, as is the gold trim at the bottom of the vase. Every straw pattern is different depending on the artistry and mood of the person that applied the finish. Whoever did this one was did an incredible job on it's design. The black straw vase lamp is a favorite among vase lamp collectors but can be quite difficult to find.