PH 1/1 Chandelier Centenary Edition

Based on the reflective three-shade System PH that Poul Henningsen developed in 1926, the PH 1/1 Chandelier Centenary Edition — originally the "Bombardement" chandelier — was part of the Louis Poulsen catalogue from 1933 to the mid-1960s. Released in limited numbers (200 nine-armed, 400 six-armed, 1000 three-armed), each is engraved with a unique gold number — a true collector's piece.

Poul Henningsen (1894–1967) was more than a lamp designer — he was a writer, critic and one of the defining cultural figures of twentieth-century Denmark. His scientific study of light led to the three-shade system that won acclaim at the 1925 Paris International Exhibition and was perfected in 1926: concentric shades whose curves are derived from a logarithmic spiral, positioned so the bulb is never visible and every ray reaches the eye softly, by reflection. The chandelier nicknamed "Bombardement" applied this system to a multi-armed form of rare festivity, and for three decades it lit Danish homes and public rooms before quietly leaving the catalogue. The Centenary Edition revives it to mark one hundred years of the PH lamp, produced by Louis Poulsen — Henningsen's manufacturing partner from the very beginning — with each numbered piece engraved in gold.

A chandelier of this character asks for a setting where it can preside: above a dining table, in an entrance hall, or at the centre of a living room with classic or eclectic furnishing. Because every shade works by reflection, the light is gentle enough for low evening dining yet rich enough to fill the room — the PH system's enduring magic. Owners of other PH designs will recognise the family resemblance immediately; newcomers can trace the lineage in our PH 5 pendant buying guide. Explore more of the designer's work in the Poul Henningsen collection, or browse the full Louis Poulsen collection.