Goldkant Leuchten Orsa Pendant Lamp

Materials: Plastic “Cocoon” sprayed on a white painted curved metal wire frame. White painted Bakelite E27 socket.

Cord Length: 60 cm / 23.62”

Height: 40 cm / 15.74”

Width: ∅ 42,5 cm / 16.73”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 100 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Schulz.

Manufacturer: Goldkant-Leuchten Fritz Wauer GmbH & Co. KG, Dieselstraße 30, 5600 Wuppertal, Germany.

Other versions: This Goldkant Leuchten Orsa pendant lamp exists in one form and size. The company produced many lamps in this style. All with or without a name.

In 1974 Goldkant Leuchten received 2 iF design awards for Cocoon lamps. One for this Orsa pendant lamp and one for the Ulvsunda.

Many people think that these lamps are made of pig’s bladder, of course it is not.

Schulz

Unfortunately, it is impossible to find any info about the designer if only his last name was announced by the Goldkant Leuchten company.

Goldkant Leuchten

The company was founded right after World War II in 1946. The first name of the company was Cocoon-Leuchten International. Goldkant Leuchten also produced ceramic lamps. Designers of Cocoon lamps: Shultz, Baum. The company ended business in 1994.

Many lamps you find in this material with a label from other companies such as Aro Leuchte, Josef Brümberg and Raak, to name a few, were all made by Goldkant Leuchten.

Fritz “Friedel” Wauer who is credited by FLOS for devising the technology of spraying the material onto iron frames, was inspired by the “self-wrapping” of a silk worm, hence the naming “cocoon”.

However, the first one who used this kind of material is George Nelson in 1947 for his Bubble Hanging Lamps. The technique had been developed for mothballing naval ships. George Nelson referred to these lamps as “one of those happy accidents which occur all too infrequently in the designer’s experience”.

In the late 50’s Arturo Eisenkeil from Merano, today in Marling, brought the technique to Italy and together with Dino Gavina, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Sergio Biliotti, Carlo and Tobia Scarpa, Ignazio Gardella, to name the most important designers, the FLOS company was born.