Vitra Akari 45X Suspension Light

Manufacturer: Vitra

Designer: Isamu Noguchi

This is an original genuine Vitra piece.

The Akari 45X is a suspension light with a distinctive shade form and a warm, diffused quality of light. Its washi paper construction gives it the characteristic lightness of the Akari series — sculptural in presence, effortless in effect. Designed by Isamu Noguchi in 1951.

Each Akari luminaire is meticulously handcrafted at the Ozeki workshop, a traditional family-run company based in Gifu, Japan. Bamboo rods are stretched across Noguchi's original wooden forms to create the framework, before strips of washi paper — derived from the bark of the mulberry tree — are glued to the bamboo ribbing. Once dry, the wooden form is removed and the shade folded into its final shape.

Every piece carries a stylised sun-and-moon logo — resembling the corresponding Japanese characters — as a guarantee of authenticity.

• Lightsource (not supplied): 4W LED E27
• Max. wattage: 12W
• Part of the Vitra Design Museum Collection