Spiral Kinetics Pendant Lamp

Materials: Adjustable aluminium curved slats round lampshade, painted white on the inside. Some metal and plastic parts. Metal E14 socket with a porcelain ring.

Cord Length: 70 cm /27.55”

Height: 28 cm / 11.02”

Width: ∅ 17 cm / 6.69”

Electricity: 1 bulb E14, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred. 

Period: 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: To be determined.

Other versions: This spiral kinetics pendant lamp exists in several variations and sizes. Also table, wall and floor lamps were made.

This pendant lamp has many similarities with the lamps designed by Henri Mathieu, but it is not. The lamps he designed never had a coating on the inside. Many companies produced similar lamps.

Henri Mathieu

Henri Mathieu founded his company Mathieu Lustrerie in 1962. He designed a line of lights whose poetic source is a galvanised steel chimney cap, as you can see on the left. He was probably inspired by the Moon lamps, designed by Verner Panton in 1960. The company still exists and is now led by his son Regis.

Since 2010 the factory is also a museum: Musee des Ateliers Mathieu Lustrerie of 1000 m² (10764 ft²) with more than 200 lamps. It is only open on weekdays. It is some 60 km (37 mi) from Avignon, not so far from the Côtes d’Azur, the French Riviera.

Both Mathieu Lustrerie and Verpan, the Verner Panton company still produce these lamps. The Kare Design table lamp was produced for many years, probably made in China.

The “Spirales cinétiques” lamps (spiral kinetics) by Henri Mathieu are available in several versions, all in aluminium. In 2018 the Moon pendant lamp was available in 5 versions. The biggest lamp is 150 cm / 59” wide.

Others

Joe Colombo designed his Moon pendant lamp, Kare Design made a similar table lamp. Many comparable designs exists.

Olaf Von Bohr designed the Medusa table or floor lamp for Valenti, Italy.

In 2002 Nico Heilmann made his version of the Henri Mathieu lamps for the German company Tecnolumen, also in plastic. It is named La Perle, French for the pearl.

Louis Weisdorf designed similar lamps in the late 1960s for the Lyfa company from Denmark. His Konkylie lamp model P483 is probably the most well known.

The Lakro company from The Netherlands produced many lamps in the Henri Mathieu style. Most of the time they are sold as Henri Mathieu lamps.

And of course Massive from Belgium produced a several similar lamps, probably this one.