Original text from catalogue 5, 1962 (in Dutch)
(The pendant lamps with a teak top)
Teak uit de tropen
Melkglas uit Jutland
Witte glazen flessen, volgegoten met blank licht. Als een drie-eenheid gegroepeerd aan een juk van warm en leven teak hout. Elke glazen vorm bekroond met een kegel van datzelfde tropische teak. Flessen, kegels en dubbele kegels van opaal zijdemat glas. Evenwichtig en vertrouwenwekkend mooi.
Teak from the tropics
Milk glass from Jutland
White glass bottles, filled with blank light. As a trinity grouped to a yoke of warm and living teak wood. Each glass shape crowned with a cone of the same tropical teak. Bottles, cones and double cones of opal satin glass. Balanced and confidence-inspiringly beautiful.
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Vintageinfo
Raak Lantern Pendant Lamp
Materials: White opal mat/frosted glass lampshade blown in a lampion/diamond shape. Some metal parts. Bakelite E27 socket.
Cord Length: 60 cm / 23.62’’
Height: 35 cm / 13.77”
Width: ∅ 10 cm / 3.93”
Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 40 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Not any type of light bulb can be used, a small round bulb is preferred.
Period: 1950s, 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Svend Aage Holm Sørensen.
Manufacturer: Raak Amsterdam, The Netherlands.
Other versions: The Raak lantern pendant lamp exists in several sizes and was also made with a wooden cone on top made of teak. Made as single pendant lamp, chandelier, wall lamp, wall lamp with a metal black hood…
Appears in the Raak catalogue 5 from 1962, as you can see below. It also appears in the catalogues 3 and 4.
The glass is made in Jutland, Denmark, according the catalogue. The most famous Danish glass maker is Holmegaard, but the company is not located in Jutland. It was designed by Svend Aage Holm Sørensen in the late 1950’s, as mentioned in catalogue 3.
Raak
The Dutch company Raak Lichtarchitectuur (Light architecture) was founded in 1954 by Carel O. Lockhorn (18 June 1923 – 6 October 2004), a previous employee of Philips Lighting Eindhoven. Raak, which means “to hit” in Dutch, implies design which precisely “hits the nail on the head”.
Raak is best known for their organic modern design of the 1960’s and 1970’s which combined glass & metals for a sophisticated futuristic style.
Designers
The light company collaborated with several international designers and architects, including Bertrand Balas, Evert Jelle Jelles, Frank Ligtelijn. Ger Vos, Jan Jasper Fayer, Li Helo, Maija-Liisa Komulainen. Nan Platvoet, Nanny Still-Mackinney, Nico Kooi. Sergio Asti, Tapio Wirkala, Willem van Oyen and many others.
Collaborations
Raak also collaborated with other companies. They worked with the German Peill + Putzler for the Raak Globe lamps. Peill + Putzler produced the glass. They also sold lamps made by Peill + Putzler, such as a pendant lamp designed by Aloys Ferdinand Gangkofner. For the Raak Discus the glass was made by Bega, also a German company. For the Stalactites lamps a cooperation with the Belgian Val Saint Lambert was undertaken in the late 1950’s. Raak also sold some lamps that were produced by Staff Leuchten (Staff & Schwarz Leuchtenwerke GMBH) from Germany. iittala from Finland produced the glass for the lamps that were designed by Tapio Wirkkala. Raak collaborated with many other lighting producers.
Carel Lockhorn sold the company in 1974 to ITT but remained a director until 1977. In 1980 Raak merged with BIS Lighting from Aalsmeer, also in The Netherlands and was renamed into BisRaak. In 1986 the Raak company became independent again. The company got a business appearance and only the colours white, black and grey were still processed.
In 1999, Raak merged with Artilite B.V. and Indoor B.V. and became CLA: Centrum voor Lichtarchitectuur B.V. in Drachten (Centre for Light Architecture). The Centre for Lighting Architecture was founded by Egbert Keen. The company was declared bankrupt on 19-05-2011.
