In Japanese, the word for light also implies weightlessness, and Isamu Noguchi marries these two qualities in his magical Akari Freeform Lamp (1951). The idea to create this lamp came from a trip to Gifu Prefecture, where Noguchi witnessed cormorant fishing on the Nagara River, which was illuminated by glowing lanterns at night. Inferior copies are widely available, but this genuine model – imprinted with the Noguchi signature and logo – is without equal. Handcrafted of natural materials. Bulb (not included): incandescent 75W, A19. Made in Japan.

• Light is beautifully diffused by the handmade paper to provide a soft glow.
• Still made by hand by the skilled craftspeople at the Japanese company that has produced Akari since the 1950s.
• Delicate yet strong, Akari is handcrafted using washi paper made from the bark of the mulberry tree and shaped on a frame of higo bamboo ribbing.