PH 2/1 Pendant - / Ø 20 cm by Louis Poulsen White/Gold/Metal

"Coming from the famous "System PH" series, the PH 2/1 pendant is one of the first lamps by designer Poul Henningsen. This unique creation, which has left its mark on the history of design, has wonderfully kept all its aesthetic and practical modernity. An iconic figure of Danish cultural life during the two world wars, Poul Henningsen was particularly interested in the electric lamp, a true lighting revolution for someone who was brought up with oil lamps. Poul Henningsen’s aim has always been to design lamps, but also to shape light to create atmospheres conducive to well-being, providing indirect light that’s both soft and welcoming. From the 1920s, PH would seek "lighting perfection", creating lamps with a soft, comfortable light quasi-scientifically. He created a pendant with 3 lampshades, the first lamp in his famous "System PH" series. In Paris in 1925, at the International Exhibition of Modern Decorative & Industrial Arts, PH lamps carried off the gold medal. These lamps, surrounded by glass shades which act as reflectors, guarantee a diffuse, gentle light with no glare. They were an immediate success. Even today, PH lamps are found in nearly every second home in Denmark. Created in 1925, the PH 2/1 pendant remains faithful to the original drawings by PH. They are created by hand by specialist craftsmen. The three shades are opaline blown glass (sanded finish on the bottom), while the upper structure is brass. This is what Poul Henningsen said about this new fixture in 1926: "The true innovation of the PH light is that it produces lighting that’s glare-free and economical. It’s quite easy to create glare-free lighting (indirect light with a thick lampshade) if a portion of the light can be left unused, and it’s also simple to make lighting that’s very effective if you ignore the fact that it really irritates the eyes (strong specular reflection, etc), but making a light that’s both economical and non-dazzling is an art. " Poul Henningsen used the logarithmic spiral as a basis for this new structure of superimposed lampshades to control the light’s brightness and nuance. The size of the lampshades, their positioning and colour were determined by the need to reduce the brightness while ensuring optimal light distribution. ".