The so called "Akari" lanterns designed by Isamu Noguchi in 1951, are one of the design icons of the last century.
The Noguchi lamp manufacturing process involves the same materials used for the traditional Japanese lanterns - handmade paper from the bark of the mulberry tree folding a thin and light wooden structure- with the only difference of an empty surface: the classical lanterns had painted decorations.
The name chose for the lamp was "Akari": that means variously as 'light', 'sun' or 'moon'. The first one was produced in 1951 and since then the Noguchi lamp has changed its design going from organic to geometric forms. From the 50s to the 80s Noguchi designed more than 100 different variants of it creating hanging, standing and floor lamps.
While experimenting with the artificial light in the 30s and 40s, Noguchi created the Lunar sculptural works that -with their unreal shapes, biomorphic forms and hided lights- were often used as interior decorations as well making subtle the difference between art and design. The same philosophy -almost 20 years later- was the inspiration for the Noguchi lamp conceived to be practical and sculptural at the same time.
When designing lightings, Noguchi aimed to create objects for the wider market possible as happened with the Three-Legged Cylinder Lamp designed for Knoll during the 40s.
The place that inspired Noguchi to create his 'Akari' series was Gifu: the Japanese city where traditionally were manufactured all the paper products such as lanterns or umbrellas. At that time Noguchi was already internationally known and appreciated for his works, and the city's major asked him to design an affordable and mass producible lamp to help to revive the local paper-craft industry.
Noguchi accepted the invitation and created a simple, mass-producible lantern mixing traditional Japanese techniques and modern design.
Since the 50s the Noguchi lamp has been produced by the Gifu paper-lantern manufacturer Ozeki & Co. The lamps were an incredible commercial success, were published in many interiors magazine and exhibited in Tokio as in New York along the 50s.
Thanks to its mix of traditional and modernist design the Noguchi lamp was a cheap -the first one was around $7-50- and flexible modern lighting that many have replicated across the decades.
The Noguchi lamp manufacturing process involves the same materials used for the traditional Japanese lanterns - handmade paper from the bark of the mulberry tree folding a thin and light wooden structure- with the only difference of an empty surface: the classical lanterns had painted decorations.
The name chose for the lamp was "Akari": that means variously as 'light', 'sun' or 'moon'. The first one was produced in 1951 and since then the Noguchi lamp has changed its design going from organic to geometric forms. From the 50s to the 80s Noguchi designed more than 100 different variants of it creating hanging, standing and floor lamps.
While experimenting with the artificial light in the 30s and 40s, Noguchi created the Lunar sculptural works that -with their unreal shapes, biomorphic forms and hided lights- were often used as interior decorations as well making subtle the difference between art and design. The same philosophy -almost 20 years later- was the inspiration for the Noguchi lamp conceived to be practical and sculptural at the same time.
When designing lightings, Noguchi aimed to create objects for the wider market possible as happened with the Three-Legged Cylinder Lamp designed for Knoll during the 40s.
The place that inspired Noguchi to create his 'Akari' series was Gifu: the Japanese city where traditionally were manufactured all the paper products such as lanterns or umbrellas. At that time Noguchi was already internationally known and appreciated for his works, and the city's major asked him to design an affordable and mass producible lamp to help to revive the local paper-craft industry.
Noguchi accepted the invitation and created a simple, mass-producible lantern mixing traditional Japanese techniques and modern design.
Since the 50s the Noguchi lamp has been produced by the Gifu paper-lantern manufacturer Ozeki & Co. The lamps were an incredible commercial success, were published in many interiors magazine and exhibited in Tokio as in New York along the 50s.
Thanks to its mix of traditional and modernist design the Noguchi lamp was a cheap -the first one was around $7-50- and flexible modern lighting that many have replicated across the decades.
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The Noguchi lamp clearly represents the design philosophy of an era: the Mid Century modern. To discover everything about it , check Mid Century Home now!
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