Isamu Noguchi, 'Akari' Hanging Light Sculpture
About the Item
- Creator:Isamu Noguchi (Designer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 66 in (167.64 cm)Width: 14 in (35.56 cm)Depth: 14 in (35.56 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:2020's
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8765237295662
Akari Light Sculpture
It was a trip to Japan in the spring of 1951 that inspired artist and designer Isamu Noguchi (1904–88) 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. Noguchi debuted his Akari light sculpture at an exhibition of his work at the Museum of Modern Art in Kamakura in 1952. It caught on immediately, not only as a piece of art but also as a functional design.
Since 1951, Noguchi’s Akari lanterns have been handcrafted in Gifu. Fabricators stretch bamboo ribbing across molded wood forms, then glue washi paper — made from the bark of the mulberry tree — to the inside and outside of the resulting frame. Once the glue dries, the shape is set, and the internal wood form can be disassembled and removed. The lanterns are collapsible, a traditional feature that Noguchi insisted on keeping. They can thus be shipped flat around the world in shallow boxes or slender envelopes, and then easily unpacked and installed. This feature contributes to the sculpture’s practicality. As Noguchi was fond of saying, “All you require to start a home are a room, a tatami and Akari."
Isamu Noguchi
A sculptor, painter, ceramicist and furniture and lighting designer, Isamu Noguchi was one of the most prolific and protean creative forces of the 20th century and a key figure in the development of organic modernism. Noguchi’s sculptures and designs — his chairs and tables as well as his timeless Akari lamp and other lighting fixtures — share a common spirit: one of lyrical abstraction, tempo and flow and harmonious balance.
Noguchi was born in Los Angeles to an American mother and Japanese father, and spent most of his childhood in Japan. He returned to the United States at age 13, went to high school in Indiana and enrolled at Columbia University to study medicine. At the same time, he took night courses in sculpture.
Within three months, Noguchi left college to pursue art full time. Noguchi was awarded a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1927 and traveled to Paris to work under Constantin Brancusi. It marked a turning point. Inspired by Brancusi, Noguchi embraced abstraction and began to sculpt in the expressive, rhythmic style that would be the hallmark of his work.
Once back in New York, Noguchi was introduced to design by what would become a lifelong collaboration creating sets for choreographer Martha Graham. His first industrial designs were in Bakelite: the sleek Measured Time kitchen timer created circa 1932, and his famed Zenith Radio Nurse intercom, from 1937.
Ten years later, Herman Miller introduced Noguchi’s now-iconic glass-topped coffee table with an articulated wooden base. His washi paper and bamboo Akari light sculptures, handmade in Japan, debuted in 1951. In the late 1950s, Noguchi designed for Knoll, creating such pieces as his dynamic Cyclone table and rocking stool.
For collectors, Noguchi’s furniture and lighting designs remain his most accessible work — they have the same power and presence that Noguchi brought to his art.
Find vintage Isamu Noguchi floor lamps, table lamps, coffee tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Preben Dahl Symphoni Pendant LightBy Preben DahlLocated in Los Angeles, CASymfoni Pendant in metal designed by Preben Dahl and made by Hans Følsgaard in 1960s. Newly refinished condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsSteel
- Wilhelm Wegenfeld Diana PendantBy Wilhelm WagenfeldLocated in Los Angeles, CA'Diana' glass pendant light by German Designer Wilhelm Wagenfeld. Produced by glass manufacturer Peill & Putzler in the 1950s. The light is in good used condition. The glass surface ...Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsGlass
- Hans Bergstrom produced by Atelje Lyktan, Model 166 Ceiling PendantBy Achille CastiglioniLocated in Los Angeles, CA'Cocoon' pendant in resin and steel. This lovely pendant lamp was designed by Hans Bergstrom in Italy in the 1950s. This iconic piece features a round shade made in a natural soft r...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsSteel
- Mathieu Matégot Floor lampBy Mathieu MatégotLocated in Los Angeles, CAAtelier Matégot France, 1953 Enameled steel, perforated and lacquered steel Lamp features an adjustable Rigitulle shade and two removable planters. literature: Mathieu Matégot, Jouss...Category
Vintage 1950s French Floor Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- French Ceramic Table LampsBy Jean BesnardLocated in Los Angeles, CAFrench Pair of table lamps, available separately Ceramic enamel Model created in 1930 H 37 × Ø 14 cmCategory
Vintage 1930s French Table Lamps
MaterialsCeramic
- Petite Murano Glass Table LampLocated in Los Angeles, CAMurano Archimede Seguso Bullicante Glass Table Lamp Vintage Condition with New Linen Shade Tested and Rewired for USCategory
1990s Italian Table Lamps
MaterialsMurano Glass
- Isamu Noguchi Akari 16A Light SculptureBy Isamu NoguchiLocated in Dronten, NLAkari 16A pendant designed by Isamu Noguchi, 1951. Manufactured by Ozeki & Co. in Japan. Bambu structure covered by washi paper. Wired for U.S. standards. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBamboo, Paper
- Akari Light Sculpture 30A Isamu NoguchiBy Isamu NoguchiLocated in Venezia, VENETOThis iconical Isamu Noguchi Akari Lamp Sculpture 30A is a small pendant lamp executed in handmade washi paper, bamboo ribs and a structure in black lacquered metal. Akari light sc...Category
2010s Japanese Post-Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
- Early Isamu Noguchi Akari light sculpture, Model K.By Isamu NoguchiLocated in Brooklyn, NYIsamu Noguchi Akari light sculpture. Model K. Early model, marked with iconic red sun and moon ideogram. Hand-made form by Ozeki & Co. Ltd., ...Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBamboo, Paper
- Isamu Noguchi Akari 70EN Light SculptureBy Isamu NoguchiLocated in Dronten, NLAkari 70EN lamp designed by Isamu Noguchi, 1951. Manufactured by Ozeki & Co. in Japan. Bambu structure covered by washi paper. Rewired for U.S. standards. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsBamboo, Paper
- Monumental Akari Model 70F Light Sculpture by Isamu NoguchiBy Ozeki & Co. Ltd. 1, Isamu Noguchi, AkariLocated in Glendale, CAMonumental Akari model 70F light sculpture by Isamu Noguchi. The shade is made from handmade washi paper and bamboo ribs with original Noguchi Akari manufactu...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers an...
MaterialsMetal
- Early Rare Isamu Noguchi 30A Akari Light Sculpture, Ozeki 1951By Ozeki & Co. Ltd. 1, Isamu NoguchiLocated in Mortsel, BEIntroducing the Akari Light Sculpture Model 30A by Isamu Noguchi, a rare gem from 1951 meticulously crafted in the renowned Ozeki factory. This piece stands as one of the earliest pr...Category
Vintage 1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and Pendants
MaterialsMetal
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Iconic Furniture Gives These 1stDibs 50 Rooms Timeless Appeal
A well-made armchair, table or pendant lamp can afford both comfort and convenience. An exceptional one can transform a space. See how the honorees on this year’s 1stDibs 50 list of top interior designers used standout pieces to create the kind of rooms you never want to leave.
How Noguchi Elevated Ashtrays to Objets d’Art
Smoking might have fallen out of fashion, but these ashtrays have enduring design appeal.