The Akari 1N table lamp is one of Isamu Noguchi’s Akari light sculptures. This delicate lamp, with its rounded design, emits a soft light that shines through a shade made of fine shoji paper. The name “Akari”—which fits the table lamp’s design—is the Japanese term for brightness and light, a concept that also conveys a sense of lightness. Starting in 1951, the American-Japanese artist and designer Isamu Noguchi created the Akari Light Sculptures—a total of over 100 models handcrafted from shoji paper as table, floor, or ceiling lamps. “The light of an Akari shines like sunlight filtered through shoji paper. The magic of the paper transforms the cool electricity back into the eternal light of the sun, so that its warmth can continue to fill our rooms even at night.” (Isamu Noguchi)