Taraxacum Hanging Lamp

The Taraxacum (Latin for 'dandelion') was designed by brothers Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos in 1960; its organic, lobed form a direct nod to the plant's billowing seed head. What makes the piece remarkable is its material ingenuity: the brothers encased a steel frame in a resin "cocoon" sprayed using plastic polymers originally developed for military use, a process that gave the lamp its soft, diffused glow. Now part of MoMA's permanent collection, the Taraxacum stands as one of the purest expressions of Achille's lifelong conviction that the most extraordinary design could emerge from the most ordinary of starting points. Whether suspended over a dining table or anchoring a generous living space, its warm, ambient light and sculptural presence make it as liveable as it is collectible. This is a piece of design history that holds its value as confidently as it holds a room.