Vitra Akari 3AD Table Lamp

Manufacturer: Vitra | Designer: Isamu Noguchi, 1951

The Akari 3AD is a table lamp of considered proportion and quiet sculptural presence. Its washi paper shade produces a warm, diffused glow that fills a room without overwhelming it — organic in form, effortless in effect. Designed by Isamu Noguchi in 1951, it is a refined addition to the Akari Light Sculptures series.

Each Akari luminaire is meticulously handcrafted at the Ozeki workshop, a traditional family-run company based in Gifu, Japan. Bamboo rods are stretched across Noguchi's original wooden forms to create the framework, before strips of washi paper — derived from the bark of the mulberry tree — are glued to the bamboo ribbing. Once dry, the wooden form is removed and the shade folded into its final shape. Every piece carries a stylised sun-and-moon logo as a guarantee of authenticity.

Specifications

• Dimensions — Ø25 × H56cm
• Cable — 130cm
• Shade — Handcrafted washi paper over bamboo ribbing
• Structure — Bamboo and steel wire
• Legs — Painted steel wire
• Light source — E27, max. 12W (not supplied; 4W LED recommended)
• Collection — Vitra Design Museum Collection

Part of the Vitra Akari collection and the Table Lamps collection.