Bagdad Portable Lamp

Designed in 1954, the Bagdad Lamp embodied the quintessential characteristics of Mathieu MatŽgots approach to lighting design: playful expression, signature material, and space-age aesthetic. Now, 70 years later, GUBI has reimagined the iconic lamp as a new portable version that brings the Hungarian designers offbeat style and technical brilliance to both indoor and outdoor settings.

GUBIs new, portable edition of the lamp scales the Bagdad down to half the size of the 1954 table lamp. The smaller size of the Štail enables it to be used as a handle, making it easier to move the lamp around and outside the home Ð to whichever dark corner might benefit from its atmospheric glow. Achieving the geometry and balance of the shade and ensuring the weld optimizes the distribution of light require a high degree of precision. Similar ingenuity is needed to install the small brass ball at the top of the lamp.

Made with MatŽgots signature Šrigitulle technique, whereby sheet metal is folded and perforated to create a lace-like effect Ð the Bagdad Lamp was inspired by the lanterns of the Middle East, hence its name. MatŽgot gave this classic style a distinctly futurist makeover, shaping a rigitulle sheet into an icosahedron Ð a geometric shape with 20 triangular sides Ð with an exaggerated pyramidal Štail. As a result, the Bagdad resembles a cubist sculpture of a comet.

Originally designed in 1954, the Bagdad Lamp is a brilliantly offbeat showcase of Mathieu MatŽgots material affinity with perforated metal. A multifaceted, cubist construction with a comet-like tail, the Bagdads sculptural design has proven timeless in its playful uniqueness. The new edition scales down the size by half and adds a further element of versatility by making it portable. Fitted with a touch-activated dimmer with three levels of brightness, and available in three colors Ð Black, White, and International Orange Ð the Bagdad represents a unique addition to GUBIs MatŽgot portfolio, and the ever-growing collection of rechargeable lamps without limits.