Table Lamp, Lisa Johansson-Pape, 1950/1960s

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Table lamp, designed by Lisa Johansson-Pape, 1950/1960s. White glass frame with wooden slat shade. Great condition, minor patina consistent with age and use. Beautiful and timeless Scandinavian Modern design.

Lisa Johansson-Pape is one of the most important Finnish lighting designers of the second half of the 20th century. A passionate advocate of lighting, Johansson-Pape designed classics that have received far too little attention.
According to Lisa Johansson-Pape (1907-1989), the most important thing in designing a luminaire was that the product functioned well technically – form and aesthetics were secondary. However, as a skilled designer, she managed to meet both requirements perfectly: luminaires made in Finland are still in production today.Creator: Lisa Johansson-Pape (Designer)Dimensions: Height: 20.48 in (52 cm)Diameter: 8.67 in (22 cm)Power Source: Plug-inLampshade: IncludedStyle: Scandinavian Modern (Of the Period)Materials and Techniques: Glass,WoodPlace of Origin: FinlandPeriod: 1960-1969Date of Manufacture: 1950Condition: GoodWear consistent with age and use. Great condition, minor patina consistent with age and use.Seller Location: Helsinki, FIReference Number: 1stDibs: LU7495242645762Shop All Lisa Johansson-Pape

Lisa Johansson-Pape

Lisa Johansson-Pape is one of the most recognized mid-century Finnish lighting designers, having earned this distinction in her eyes unintentionally.

Johansson-Pape began her career as a furniture designer for Kylmkosku and Stockmann before turning her focus to lighting in the early 1940s for Stockmann-owned lighting manufacturer Orno, where she partnered with designer Yki Nummi. A graduate of Finlands Central School of Arts and Crafts, Johansson-Pape was famously quoted as having attributed the success of her vintage table lamps, floor lamps and sconces to an accident.

By education, I am a furniture designer, but I had to make lamps during the war,” she explained. Her distinctive style sees a balance of clean aesthetics and a prioritization of practicality and function.

Johansson-Pape was a multidisciplinary engineer and designer who created space for women in many industries. She collaborated on a number of high-profile projects through a variety of partnerships, most notably with the glassblowers of Iittala during the 1950s, designing celebrated lighting fixtures for public spaces such as the Helsinki Childrens Hospital. She also collaborated on installations at 150 churches, including the famous Ecker Church in Finland.

In 1951, Johansson-Pape was awarded the silver medal at the Triennale di Milano, and in 1954, she was awarded the gold medal for her design of the Sipuli, or Onion lamp. This was merely the start of a lifetime of awards and accolades for Johansson-Pape. She won the Pro-Finlandia prize in 1957 for her design of the Laura pendant lamp, and her other iconic lighting designs include the Belle pendant lamp and the Senator floor lamp.

Johansson-Papes work, which frequently saw an integration of acrylic and enamled brass alongside its glass components, was featured at the 1939 Worlds Fair in New York and the Design In Scandinavia exhibition, which traveled extensively throughout the United States and Canada in the 1950s. Her Rya textile exhibition debuted in Helsinki and toured Europe in 1956. In 1966, she took part in a joint exhibition in Stockholm with her friend, textile artist Dora Jung.

Lisa Johansson-Pape was an inspiring pioneer of design she was passionate about traditional Finnish design and worked to build a community and platform for female designers and architects. Through her work at Friends of Finnish Handicraft for which she designed textiles Johansson-Pape supported several national movements in textile design and was the organizations Artistic Director for more than three decades. She was also a recognized public speaker and author, having lectured on the subjects of furniture design, lighting and Scandinavian modernism.

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