Plissée Pendant Lamp

The Plissée Pendant appears as a floating, pleated balloon of light — yet it is mouth-blown opal glass, handcrafted by Italian artisans. Its frosted interior and exterior create a gentle ambient glow plus a focused downward beam, finished with metal rings in black, bronze or brass. Inspired by Japanese lanterns and Isamu Noguchi's work, it brings artistic warmth to any setting.

Sebastian Herkner — born in Bad Mergentheim in 1981 and one of the most celebrated German designers of his generation — has made material illusion his signature since the Bell Table he created for ClassiCon: things that look like one substance and reveal themselves as another. The Plissée family carries that idea into light. What seems to be softly pleated paper or fabric, in the lineage of the Japanese paper lanterns Noguchi reinterpreted in his Akari series, is in fact a single balloon of mouth-blown opal glass, its delicate folds formed while the glass is still hot. ClassiCon, the Munich editor of both Eileen Gray's classics and contemporary design, oversees the craft, and the slim metal ring — black, bronze, or brass — grounds the airy volume with a precise, jewellery-like detail.

The pendant's double character — ambient glow from the glass body, focused beam from the open bottom — makes it as practical as it is poetic. Hang it over a dining table or kitchen counter for atmosphere and task light in one fixture, or float it in a bedroom or hallway as a quiet lantern. Its visual lightness suits compact apartments beautifully: even at full size it never feels heavy overhead. Pair it with the matching Plissée Floor Lamp, browse more pendant lamps, or read our guide to designer lighting for small apartments for more ideas.

Light source: E27, 1 bulb, max 8 W. IP20, indoor.