Lisa Johansson-Pape for Orno '1088' Pendant Lamp in Opaline Glass

Lisa Johansson-Pape for Orno, '1088' pendant lamp, opaline glass, lacquered steel, wooden stalks, Finland, ca. 1951

Lisa Johansson-Pape began designing lighting for Orno in 1942, continuing the legacy of Gunilla Jung, whose distinctive glass designs had formed an important part of the manufacturer’s earlier production. Drawing upon one of Jung’s existing glass shades, Johansson-Pape developed model 1088, also known as the Jälleenrakennusvalaisin (‘Reconstruction Lamp’), by introducing a broad, delicately constructed outer shade surrounding the original glass form. The design emerged during Finland’s wartime and postwar reconstruction years, when severe shortages of metal and other conventional manufacturing materials encouraged designers to explore alternative resources, including wood, paper, and natural fibers. These limitations fostered a spirit of experimentation and collaboration among designers and craftspeople, giving rise to a softer, nature-inspired aesthetic with a subtle sense of romanticism. Within this context, Johansson-Pape transformed the practical constraints of the period into an inventive lighting design, uniting Jung’s refined glasswork with an innovative approach to materials, texture, and light.

This particular example features an elegant, softly tapered opaline glass diffuser, adorned with an undulating rim. Surrounding the glass diffuser is a broad, shallow conical shade, intricately constructed from slender wooden stalks.