Boréns Swedish Pendant Light in Brass with Counterweight

Boréns, ceiling light, lacquered steel and aluminum, brass, Borås, Sweden, 1950s/60s

This pendant lamp, produced by the Swedish lighting manufacturer Boréns during the 1950s–60s, presents a mid-century approach to form and material. Its shape is a careful interplay of geometric clarity and soft, engineered detailing. At its core, the design is organised around a flat, disc-like shade in black. A perforated brass diffuser forms a secondary focal point. This component has a shallow, inverted bowl shape punctuated by regularly spaced, half-spherical cutouts. These perforations are not merely ornamental; they modulate the emission of light, allowing subtle points of brightness to escape sideways, creating a tactile, patterned glow that softens the overall illumination. The polished brass surface intensifies this effect, bouncing warm light back onto the shade’s underside and creating a nuanced interplay between shadow and reflection.