Wall Sconces by Motoko Ishii for Staff, 1960s, Set of 2

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Description

Pair of wall sconces designed by motoko ishii and produced by staff leuchten in the late 1960s.

the brackets are … Read more Pair of wall sconces designed by motoko ishii and produced by staff leuchten in the late 1960s.

the brackets are made of chromed steel with an architectural design. Each sconce is fitted with four e14 sockets. The bulbs are protected by a screw-in glass globe with a mirrored top, creating a play of reflection and diffusion. The light is both focused and softened by the partial mirror effect.

h 63 cm x w 10 cm (diameter of globes) x d 21 cm.
good condition, slight superficial oxidation of the chrome (very small black spots, see photos). Motoko ishii occupies a unique place in the history of japanese lighting design. Trained at the tokyo university of the arts, and later in europe—notably in finland and germany—she developed, from the 1960s onward, an approach to light as an autonomous discipline, distinct from mere decorative lighting. For her, light is not an accessory: it is what reveals matter, color, and form. Without light, the visual world would not exist.

her work lies at the intersection of architecture and perception. She conceives of light as a structuring element of space, capable of shaping volumes and altering the feeling of a place. This reflection is expressed in both her large-scale urban projects and her more domestic creations, where formal rigor engages in a dialogue with the resulting luminous effect.

in the pieces designed in the late 1960s, this tension between structure and diffusion is particularly noticeable. The chromed steel supports assert a clear, almost graphic, architectural presence, while the mirrored glass globes modulate the light, partially reflecting it and softening its radiance. Light is not simply emitted: it is directed, filtered, and staged.

through these creations, motoko ishii contributes to a redefinition of modern lighting: no longer an object added to the space, but a device that transforms the very experience of the environment.

learn more about motoko ishii.
european plug (up to 250v).the wiring of this item may be original and might need replacement, if not specified otherwise. See less