Mantis

A great admirer of Alexander Calder, Bernard Schottlander created a series of lights named MANTIS in 1951. Movement is the source of inspiration behind all of Schottlander's work: an artist and an engineer-cum-tinkerer, he devised an ingenious pivot-and-counterweight system, using metal rods that are both supple and sturdy. The lampshade, flung into the air like an acrobat, remains utterly unique.