Verner Panton

VERNER PANTON (Denmark, 1926–1998)
“Fun 2TM” table lamp. Early edition, 1970s.
Capiz and chrome-plated metal.
Good vintage condition. The chrome-plated metal frame has a slight patina and minor signs of wear, consistent with its age and use. The imitation mother-of-pearl discs feature natural variations, small marks, and irregularities typical of the material.
Measurements: 28 x 42.5 cm.
The Fun series, one of Panton’s most poetic lighting designs, transforms a simple light source into a living, moving sculpture. Panton developed the FUN series in 1964, initially in collaboration with the Swiss manufacturer J. Lüber. In his early experiments, he worked with metal discs and later incorporated small pieces of shell, drawn to their pearlescent sheen and translucency. The collection was unveiled that same year at the Möbel Rösch furniture store in Basel.
This tabletop version consists of a chrome-plated metal frame with three circular tiers, from which hang hundreds of Capiz discs that mimic natural mother-of-pearl, each suspended individually by small metal rings. The result is a delicate curtain of translucent shells that constantly shifts with the light, the air, and the viewer’s movement.
Throughout his career, Verner Panton created a variety of innovative and futuristic designs, particularly those made of plastic and featuring bright colors. Most of his best-known designs remain in production. Verner attended the Technical School in Odense and then studied architecture at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, graduating in 1951. In the early years of his career, between 1950 and 1942, he worked at Arne Jacobsen’s architecture firm. In 1955, he opened his own architecture and design studio, gaining fame for his furniture based on geometric shapes, manufactured by the company Plus-linje. In the late 1950s, his chair designs—without legs and without a discernible backrest—became increasingly unconventional. In the 1960s, Panton began his collaboration with Vitra, a partnership that has remained very close ever since and culminated in 2000 with a Panton retrospective exhibition at the Vitra Design Museum. His work is currently represented at the Design Museum in London and the MoMA in New York, among many other institutions.