Isamu Noguchi, Akari UF, Circa 1970s
About the Item
- Creator:Isamu Noguchi (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 37.01 in (94 cm)Width: 9.85 in (25 cm)Depth: 9.85 in (25 cm)
- Power Source:Plug-in
- Voltage:220-240v
- Lampshade:Included
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:Circa 1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Hasselt, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6495239227552
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: Hasselt, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
More From This Seller
View AllMid-20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
Wood
Vintage 1970s Dutch De Stijl Chairs
Wood, Oak
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Wood, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Swedish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Bouclé, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Wood, Straw
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Stools
Wood, Oak
You May Also Like
Vintage 1950s Japanese Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Bamboo, Paper
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Steel
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Japanese Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Steel
Vintage 1970s Japanese Modern Floor Lamps
Iron
Mid-20th Century Japanese Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Steel
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
How Noguchi Elevated Ashtrays to Objets d’Art
Smoking might have fallen out of fashion, but these ashtrays have enduring design appeal.
Daniel Rozensztroch Can’t Live with Enough Beautifully Useful Objects
The French designer, stylist and creative director offers an inside look at the cabinets of curiosities he calls home in Paris and Nice.