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Price category: 2,500 - 5,000 usd / eur

This “PH-5” table lamp from the Danish “Master of Soft Light”, Poul Henningsen, is one of the designer’s most popular models, and is considered to be an icon of Scandinavian modern lighting design.

Perhaps the most recognizable of all the Poul Henningsen lights, the PH-5 gets its name from the 50 cm diameter of its top shade. The model was designed in 1958 and showcased at the 'Glass, Light and Colours' exhibition in the Danish Museum of Art and Design in Copenhagen. The multi-shade construction was a speciality of Henningsen and made his designs famous world-wide. This particular lamp features three conical layers with matt undersides that direct the light downwards and prevent any glare. The white lacquered metal shades are supported by the three-part frame and base of patinated brass. The elegant, distinctive design is taken even further by the playful addition of the red and blue reflectors on top, that provide the light with a warm quality, which brings a softer ambience to rooms. The shade is made from spun aluminium bringing a touch of Scandinavian style to any space.

This lamp was manufactured by Louis Poulsen, the renowned Danish lighting manufacturer, founded in 1874. Henningsen began working together with Louis Poulsen in 1924, with a view to taking part in an international exhibition for decorative art to be held in Paris. A competition was held to find qualified participants: Henningsen was one of the winners and his “PH” lamps earned Gold medals in this exhibition.

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Condition:

In good vintage condition. Wear consistent with age and use. Brass top with small dents and dimples. Minor lacquer peeling and discolouration. Overall, the item has a beautiful patina.

Dimensions:

18.89 in W x 24.01 in H

48 cm ⌀ x 61 cm H

Literature:

“Tænd” page 283.

About the designer:

Poul Henningsen was born in 1894 in Copenhagen to the famous Danish author Agnes Henningsen. In Denmark, where he is often simply referred to as PH, he was one of the leading figures of the cultural life of Denmark between the World Wars.

Between 1911 and 1917, he was trained at Copenhagen Technical College and the Technical University of Denmark, where he studied to be an architect, but never graduated, choosing instead to follow a career as an inventor and painter. He started out working in traditional Functionalist architecture, but over time his professional interests shifted to lighting – the field in which he became famous. In addition to his design work he started to write and later became a journalist and author. For a short period at the beginning of the Second World War he worked as an architect at Tivoli in Copenhagen. Like so many other creative people he fled from Denmark during the German occupation of the country. Living in exile, he quickly became a vital part of the Danish colony of architects living in Sweden.
Poul Henningsen – or PH – designed the world-renowned PH lamp series, the Artichoke, the PH80, the PH-5 and the Snowball for Louis Poulsen. Henningsen’s lifelong collaboration with Louis Poulsen Lighting began in 1925 and continued until his death in 1967, and Louis Poulsen still enjoys the benefits of his genius today. Henningsen was also the first editor of Louis Poulsen Lighting’s magazine “NYT”.

Poul Henningsen’s pioneering work on lighting theory – structure, shadow, glare and colour reproduction in relation to the human need for light – is still in use today at Louis Poulsen Lighting. His novel works of Danish modern designs are featured in many museums. ~H.