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Vitra Akari lights are one of the first popular designs that combined ancient paper lanterns with electric lighting, creating a new form of illumination for the home. These table lights are small compact designs perfect for adding light to a shelf, table or any surface off the floor.

A concept that is now ubiquitous, started in 1951 when American/Japanese artist and designer Isamu Noguchi began to design the Akari Light Sculptures. Noguchi created over 100 hand-made Shoji-paper models for table lights, standard lamps or ceiling luminaires. For the name of this lighting series he chose the word "akari", the Japanese term for brightness and physical lightness.

The light of Akari is like the light of the sun filtered through the paper of shoji. "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 fill our rooms at night". -Isamu Noguchi. Shoji paper is a traditional Japanese paper made traditionally with tree fibres, but today synthetic fibres, to reinforce and give it strength whilst retaining transparency.

Whilst often copied the Akari lights remain unbettered thanks to unusual asymmetric forms and high quality papers made in Japan that low-quality mass production cannot match. See the Noguchi and the original production technique in the video below.

Akari Table Lights

Akari Table Lights

by Vitra

Regular price £335.00 GBP
Regular price Sale price £335.00 GBP
Sale
in stock and ready to ship
Made to Order for you in 2-47 weeks
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‘Made to Order’ products are ordered in from the manufacturer on the customers request and are considered a bespoke product - special terms and conditions apply. Production (lead) times stated above are an estimate only and do not include transit times from the supplier, or the time taken to deliver to you.

In stock items are available for immediate dispatch from our London-based warehouse. The daily cut-off time is 12:00 am for same day shipping, orders placed in the afternoon will be shipped the following day. Please refer to inventory levels above for live stock availability.

Technical Information

Dimensions -
1A - Height: 43 cm, Width: 25 cm
1AD - Height: 43 cm, Width: 26 cm
1AG - Height: 43 cm, Width: 26 cm
1AY - Height: 43 cm, Width: 26 cm
1N - Height: 39 cm, Width: 25 cm
3X - Height: 38 cm, Width: 23 cm
20N - Height: 63 cm, Width: 42 cm
24N - Height: 58 cm, Width: 40 cm
UF1-H - Height: 51 cm, Width: 20 cm
3A - Height: 56 cm, Width: 28 cm
3AD - Height: 56 cm, Width: 25 cm
9AD - Height: 62 cm, Width: 44 cm
7A - Height: 63 cm, Width: 30 cm
9A - Height: 62 cm, Width: 44 cm
YA2 - Height: 51 cm, Width 36 cm


 

Materials/Construction

Lampshades: shoji paper, some partially painted.
Some models with end pieces in wood/ bamboo.
Structure: bamboo/steel wire.
Legs: painted steel wire.

Vitra Akari lights are one of the first popular designs that combined ancient paper lanterns with electric lighting, creating a new form of illumination for the home. These table lights are small compact designs perfect for adding light to a shelf, table or any surface off the floor.

A concept that is now ubiquitous, started in 1951 when American/Japanese artist and designer Isamu Noguchi began to design the Akari Light Sculptures. Noguchi created over 100 hand-made Shoji-paper models for table lights, standard lamps or ceiling luminaires. For the name of this lighting series he chose the word "akari", the Japanese term for brightness and physical lightness.

The light of Akari is like the light of the sun filtered through the paper of shoji. "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 fill our rooms at night". -Isamu Noguchi. Shoji paper is a traditional Japanese paper made traditionally with tree fibres, but today synthetic fibres, to reinforce and give it strength whilst retaining transparency.

Whilst often copied the Akari lights remain unbettered thanks to unusual asymmetric forms and high quality papers made in Japan that low-quality mass production cannot match. See the Noguchi and the original production technique in the video below.

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    Customer Reviews

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    T
    T.J. (Burton-on-Trent, GB)
    Amazing

    Was well worth the wait for it to be manufactured!

    Isamu Noguchi

    This product is designed by
    Isamu Noguchi

    Isamu Noguchi, born in 1904 in Los Angeles to the Japanese poet Yone Noguchi and the American writer Leonie Gilmour, studied at Columbia University and the Leonardo da Vinci Art School.He established his first independent studio and received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927. Noguchi became an assistant to Constantin Brancusi in Paris and presented his first solo exhibition in New York. After studying brush drawing in China, he travelled to Japan to work with clay under the master potter Jinmatsu Uno.

    His experiences living and working in different cultural circles are reflected in Isamu Noguchi's work as an artist. He is considered a universal talent with a creative oeuvre that went beyond sculpture to encompass stage...