Vintage Pendant light with original Metsovaara shade by Uno and Östen Kristiansson for Luxus, Sweden 1960s

A Swedish classic from iconic producer Luxus in Vittsjö. Designed by the brothers Uno and Östen Kristiansson in the 1960s. An original shade featuring the pattern "Mexico" by legendary Finnish textile designer Marjatta Metsovaara. Diffused disks of plastic as lid and bottom for soft shine. The bulb socket is placed at the end of a turned wooden top decoration with red lacquer that also holds the shade. A minimalistic design with a clear hint at Swedish folk design. Good condition with only some very minor scratches visible at close examination. Standard E27 light bulb. Swedish lighting and furniture manufacturer Luxus was founded by Uno Kristiansson circa 1950 in the city of Vittsjö. Renaming and running his father’s production company Vittsjö Möbelfabrik AB from 1966, it is believed that Uno’s brother Östen soon merged the two companies, when it became simply Luxus. In 1968, Luxus presented a collection of lamps with brightly colored textile shades designed by renowned Finnish textile artist Marjatta Metsovaara (1927-2014). Most of Luxus’s products, however, were designed in-house by Uno and Östen. Like many of their Scandinavian contemporaries, the Kristiansson brothers favored teak but did not shy from using glass, leather, plastic, and acrylic. Finnish textile designer Marjatta Metsovaara’s most productive period lasted from 1954–1968. In this period she created her famous mass-produced patterns, experimented with materials, developed her own style and matured as a textile artist. At first, Metsovaara was strongly influenced by Swedish and Danish interior design, but soon developed her own style, especially in terms of choice of materials. She participated in the Milan Triennial in 1957 and 1960, and won a gold medal on the latter occasion. In 1970, she received the Pro Finlandia Medal.