Watapunga Table Lamp by Ingo Maurer, Germany, 1990s

Description

This nice watapunga lamp from the mamo nouchies series, designed by ingo maurer and dagmar mombach in 1998, pays homage … more This nice watapunga lamp from the mamo nouchies series, designed by ingo maurer and dagmar mombach in 1998, pays homage to isamu noguchi and japanese akari craft. With delicate hand-manipulated paper, metal, silicone, glass and aluminum elements, it stands elegantly on a steel base and includes a 50-watt halogen bulb with a dimmer. The lamp has such a sculptural presence that it is more a piece of art than a common table lamp.
no longer in production, it has become a sought-after collector's item, preserved in good vintage condition.

ingo maurer (1932 - 2019) was a renowned german industrial designer, often called the 'poet of light'. Born on reichenau island, lake constance, he was the son of a fisherman and grew up with four siblings. After studying graphic design in munich and working as a typesetter, maurer moved to the u.s. In 1960, where he worked as a freelance graphic designer for ibm in new york and san francisco. Returning to germany in 1963, maurer founded design m, later renamed ingo maurer gmbh, focusing on developing and manufacturing innovative lamps. His first notable design, the bulb, was acquired by the museum of modern art. Maurer gained international acclaim with his 1984 low-voltage wire system yayaho, which featured adjustable lighting elements and was showcased at prominent exhibitions, including centre georges pompidou in paris.
maurer's work often featured cutting-edge technology and whimsical designs, such as the winged bulb lucellino and the porca miseria! suspension lamp made from porcelain shards. He explored led lighting with pieces like bellissima brutta and experimented with organic light-emitting diodes. Throughout his career, maurer designed light installations for public and private spaces, including munich's westfriedhof and münchner freiheit subway stations, a fashion show for issey miyake in paris and the atomium in brussels. His innovative designs were celebrated in numerous exhibitions worldwide, including shows at the vitra design museum and cooper hewitt, smithsonian design museum in new york. I have official proof of authenticity such as vintage catalogs,
designer records,
or other literature sources and take full responsibility for any authenticity issues arising
from
misattribution,
european plug (up to 250v).the wiring of this item may be original and might need replacement, if not specified otherwise. less