Akari Lanterns: Your Beacon of Style and Serenity
Nearly seventy years ago, the Japanese-American artist Isamu Noguchi designed the first of his iconic Akari light pieces. Over the next three decades, he created 183 models; in essence turning the lamps into a symbol of 20th-century design.
Over the past year however, these lamps have become saviors to the Isamu Noguchi Foundation and Garden Museum that bears his name. It is only fitting that this small Queens museum, both designed and established by Noguchi, gets a second chance due to the sales of his quintessential lamps.
When Noguchi visited the Japanese city of Gifu in 1951, the city’s mayor had a request: Could the artist update the locally- made washi paper and bamboo lanterns as these were becoming outdated. Noguchi had a quick and simple answer: add a bulb. Gifu was known for manufacturing lanterns and umbrellas from mulberry bark paper and bamboo; Noguchi’s first lamp was produced using traditional construction methods. To honor the Japanese, the artist called these lanterns Akari, which means “light.”
Each one is handcrafted, beginning with making washi paper from the inner bark of mulberry trees. Then, bamboo ribbing is stretched across sculptural molded wood forms. The washi paper is cut into strips and glued onto both sides of the framework. When the glue dries, the shape is set; at this point, the internal wooden form is disassembled and removed. The outcome is a resilient paper product that is easily collapsible. Senior curator of the Noguchi Museum, Dakin Hart, called these pieces, “arguably the most ubiquitous sculpture on the planet.” The inexpensive lanterns for table, floor, and ceiling were also designed to be extremely versatile. They could be folded flat and shipped for almost no cost… and they were instantly a success!
The paper lantern’s soft, warm light is much more appealing than the light emitted from harsh fluorescent LEDs. The warm white light relaxes the eyes and accessorizes spaces in artful and delicate ways. Noguchi designed the lantern so that it can look great whether hung from a ceiling or placed in a corner.
People say that once you own an Akari lantern, you’ll never feel the same about light. It is said that all of a sudden you will understand the magic behind these iconic light fixtures.
The Akari lantern seems to have amassed a cult following of younger people which speaks volumes to its reverence. Long live the Akari lantern!
