Vintage pine veneer pendant light T4991 "Rolf" by Hans-Agne Jakobsson for Ellysett AB, Sweden, 1960s

Small pine veneer pendant light T4991 "Rolf" by Hans-Agne Jakobsson. Constructed from thin sheets of pine veneer carefully bent around a pine wood frame. Great transparent projection through the grain when lit. Very few of these lights have survived since the wood is very fragile. The warm light bulbs of the 1960s and 70s dried out the wood and made it brittle. This shade is slightly deformed as you can see in the images but it has no cracks or breaks in the wood veneer. The condition is well reflected in the price. Standard E27 light bulb. Hans-Agne Jacobsen invented the laminated pine fixtures by accident during a Christmas decorations in the Markaryd store . He wanted to soften a couple of dazzling light bulbs, had some laminated pine around and rapidly put together some temporary fixtures. A customer came in and wanted to buy the arrangement and Hans -Agne Jakobsson found himself with an article that was unprecedented. Laminated pine fixtures became an export success that was sold in virtually every corner of the world. Hans-Agne Jakobsson was undeniably one of the world’s most versatile and productive lighting designers and manufacturers in the fifties, sixties and seventies. He was also one of the best and most important designers in the Scandinavian era of golden and soft non-dazzle light. His earlier designs follow Scandinavian giants such as Poul Henningsen, Paavo Tynell and Alvar Aalto and he should be seen as important as the concurrent world renowned Nordic lighting designers Greta Magnusson-Grossman, Lisa Johansson-Pape, Verner Panton and Jo Hammerborg.