Vitra Akari YA2 Table Lamp

Manufacturer: Vitra

Designer: Isamu Noguchi 1951

This is an original genuine Vitra piece.

In 1951 Isamu Noguchi started to design the Akari Light Sculptures a total of over 100 hand-made Shoji-paper models for table lights standard lamps or ceiling luminaires. The Japanese word akari means brightness and light but also lightness.

The harshness of electricity is thus transformed through the magic of paper back to the light of our origin - the sun - so that its warmth may continue to fi ll our rooms at night.‘ Isamu Noguchi

Each luminaire is meticulously crafted by hand in the Ozeki workshop, a traditional family-run company based in Gifu. In a first step, bamboo rods are stretched across the original wooden forms designed by Noguchi to make the framework that determines the object‘s shape. Washi paper, derived from the bark of the mulberry tree, is cut into strips and then glued to the bamboo ribbing. After the glue has dried, the wooden form is removed and the shade can be folded.

The Akari Light Sculptures are marked with a stylised sun-and-moon logo, which also resembles the corresponding Japanese characters. This symbol guarantees the authenticity of each product.

Vitra Design Museum Collection.

Lampshades: washi paper, some partially painted. Some models with end pieces in wood/bamboo.

Structure: bamboo/steel wire.

Legs: painted steel wire.

Dimensions: Height: 510mm x Width: 360mm x Depth: 360mm.