Illuminator having forward lighting

A box-like illuminator includes a top wall having a flat sheet of clear material through which an illuminated image is viewed. A bottom wall of the illuminator is also formed of a flat sheet of clear material and is positioned atop the object to be illuminated. Light from an LED is directed in a first, downward direction onto a deflection wall where it is deflected into a substantially horizontal plane, substantially orthogonal to the first direction. The deflected light impinges upon a horizontally-disposed diffuser that bends the light about ninety degrees so that it travels though the diffuser a first time in a first direction and illuminates the object atop which the illuminator is positioned. The light is then reflected by the object, travels upwardly through the diffuser a second time in a direction opposite to the first direction, and is viewed by the user through the clear material.