The lamp shade is almost a burlap material, which is not discernible from the photos. I did a little trimming up of the whisps/strings to tidy it up and make it more presentable to my standards, but after that, the pair of these lamps (I ordered two), sit lovely and get compliments from those who have seen them so far. Assembly is a breeze and the shade is adjustable in terms of angle/tilt and where you would like the seem to rest (so it can face the back with the cord or elsewhere). Solid build, great design combine to make a wonderful lamp addition to any room.