Large Wheat Sheaf Ceiling Light by Hans Kögl, Germany, 1970s

While little has been written about German furniture designer Hans Kögl, his work speaks for itself.

Kögl drew frequently on natural forms such as wheat sheafs, florentine flowers and wisteria in designing sculptural lighting fixtures, tables and various decorative objects. His better known work was manufactured in Germany and Italy during the 1970s and 1980s, although some pieces date back to the 1950s.

Kögl’s vintage gilt metal lamps and sophisticated table bases capture nature in a way that is beyond simple lifelike imitation — the handcrafted works’ copper and gold-plated leaves and other flora, free and elegant, demand a double-take to fully appreciate the designer’s profound attention to detail.

Some of Kögl’s 1970s-era textured palm tree floor lamps, which are playful and striking and bear the hallmarks of the Hollywood Regency style, stand over six feet tall. And when coupled with his unique glass-topped coffee tables, which also draw heavily on organic forms in their decorative gilt leaf bases, the fixtures can help bring the outdoors into a living room in a manner that feels simultaneously luxurious and provocative.

Collectors and enthusiasts of early 20th century furniture will find much appeal in Kögl’s sconces and chandeliers for Maison Jansen.

The first international decorating firm, Maison Jansen was founded in 1880 by Dutchman Jean-Henri Jansen. The firm was extraordinarily versatile — its artisans created cane-backed Rococo dining chairs as often as they were making Louis XV–style tables for their diverse range of clients. Kögl worked as a designer for Maison Jansen in its later years.

On 1stDibs, find a collection of vintage Hans Kögl lighting, tables and mirrors.