Active between the 1950s and '70s—in the golden age of Scandinavian design—Swedish interior decorator and furniture designer Hans-Agne Jakobsson is best remembered for his softly glowing, glare-free lighting fixtures.

The “Pastoral” series contains Jakobsson’s most celebrated light fixtures, characterized by their brass poles and smoked-glass shades. The design of this pair of "Pastoral 376-5" ceiling lights clearly shows the Swedish designer’s studies in architecture, with beautiful geometric forms and symmetry dominating the structures. The five shades on each lamp resemble pressed spheres and hang from the brass poles like fruits, enhancing the organic forms that famously influenced Jakobsson’s design aesthetic. The smoked glass shades look equally appealing when the light is on or off, but when lit, the brass bases truly stand out. Thanks to the arrangement of the bulbs, these lamps divide the light evenly. As evidenced by this model, Jakobsson mastered both the direction and colour of light.

Famed for his imaginative light fixtures, which utilize unique angles and materials to create a soft quality of light, Jakobsson is among the most celebrated Scandinavian lighting designers. His Pastoral models are timeless, showing how shaping light with the use of materials and colours came naturally to him. These ceiling lamps were created at his own famed workshop, Hans-Agne Jakobsson AB, in Markaryd, Sweden.

SOLD

Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use.

Dimensions:

27.16 in ⌀ x 14.56 in H

69 cm ⌀ x 37 cm H

About the Designer:

Born in 1919 in Gotland, Sweden, Hans Agne Jakobsson is one of the most well-known Swedish lighting designers. He did his carpenter apprenticeship before studying architecture in Gothenburg.

First working as an industrial designer for General Motors, he later founded his own company after being an assistant to the designers Carl Malmsten and Werner West. In 1950, due to Christmas, he added a model of hanging lamps in small strips of pine in one of his stores to soften the lively lighting of the shop window. The people who were passing by were immediately seduced by this hanging lamp, which started it all. He established his own company in 1951: Hans Agne Jakobsson AB and began producing this model in his factories and achieved success abroad as well. In 50 years, he designed more than 2000 lamps with unique designs.

He used materials and experimented with multiple techniques, for example using fabrics with fringes, blown glass of colour and smoked glass. His great diversity resulted in a wide range of timeless lighting models. These pieces continue to seduce design lovers, as they adapt themselves to any interior, without blending into the background.

Today, Jakobsson’s works can be found in private homes as well as public institutions throughout Sweden. The designer passed away in 2009 in Sweden, leaving behind a great legacy. ~H.