Set of six Kazuhide Takahama Saori wall lights 1970s

This beautiful set of Saori wall lights was designed in the early 1970s by Kazuhide Takahama for Sirrah edition. It perfectly illustrates Japanese minimalism, balancing geometric precision with a poetic approach to space. Each piece features a square white-painted metal structure, covered with a stretched white fabric that softens the light, giving the lamps a diffuse and enveloping presence. Inspired by traditional Japanese washi paper screens and shōji, the design allows a natural light to filter through, recalling the atmosphere of traditional interiors. The fabric intentionally displays subtle folds, drawing from the origin of the name Saori, which refers to a Japanese free-form weaving technique favoring freedom of movement, intuition and expression. This choice reveals the designer’s intention to conceive the wall light not as a static object, but as a living surface, where light interacts with the material. It is precisely within this dialogue between geometric discipline and the material’s inherent irregularities that the beauty of Takahama’s work resides. This model can be used either as a wall light or as a ceiling fixture, offering great freedom of use and versatility.


We have six pieces on inventory, all fully restored, fabric replaced with the exact same off-white stretched fabric, rewired, and ready to use.


Kazuhide Takahama (1930–2010) was a Japanese architect and designer. He was trained in architecture and design at the Tokyo Institute of Technology in a context shaped by post-war reconstruction and a profound reflection on function, sobriety, and the standardisation of forms. He came to prominence at the Milan Triennale in 1957, where he designed the Japanese Pavilion, an event that marked a decisive turning point in his career. It was there that he met Dino Gavina, initiating a long-standing collaboration. After settling in Bologna in 1963, Takahama went on to design throughout the 1960s and 1970s for Gavina, as well as for other major Italian editors such as Sirrah and B&B Italia. He developed a distinctive language by embracing the codes of Western modernism while preserving a poetic minimalism deeply rooted in Japanese culture. His work extended beyond furniture and lighting to include architectural projects and interior spatial designs. Through his creations, Takahama explored the balance between light, material, and form, endowing each object with a presence that is both functional and contemplative. He is today recognised as a key figure in international design, having reinterpreted the legacy of occidental modernism through a Japanese sensibility defined by discipline, clarity, and restraint.