24N Akari Paper Floor Lamp

Beautiful Original Akari Japanese paper lamp made with a Bamboo ribbing structure covered by washi paper manufactured according to the traditional procedures. Edition signed with stamped manufacturer's mark.

About the Designer

Isamu Noguchi (1904-1988) was one of the 20th century most important and critically acclaimed sculptors. Through a lifetime of artistic experimentation, he created sculptures, gardens, furniture and lighting designs, ceramics, architecture and set designs. His work, at once subtle and bold, traditional and modern, set a new standard for the reintegration of the arts.

It was a trip to Japan in the spring of 1951 that inspired artist and designer Isamu Noguchi to create the Akari light sculpture. Noguchi was passing through the city of Gifu, in central Japan, and observed a traditional nighttime festival in which fishermen use cormorants to help them catch fish. Each boat was equipped with a chochin lantern to light its way. Noguchi — one of the 20th century’s most inventive artists — was enraptured with the beauty of these traditional decorative lamps, which were made locally from mulberry bark and bamboo.The artist met with Gifu’s mayor, who explained that he was seeking a way to reinvigorate his city’s lantern industry. Aiming to bring the chochin’s traditional design into the 20th century, Noguchi made multiple prototypes with an incandescent bulb in place of a candle. He named the updated lantern Akari, which means both illumination and lightness in Japanese.

Designer: Isamu Noguchi / Ozeki & Co Ltd. (Japan.)

Period

1980-1989

Place of Origin

Japan

Condition

Good Vintage Condition

Dimensions

44 cm x 44 cm x 63.5 cm