Kurage

The Kurage floor lamp, whose name translates from Japanese to 'jellyfish,' was designed by Tobia Scarpa and Afra Bianchin in 1967 as a collaboration with the Italian lighting manufacturer Flos. The piece emerged during a period of experimentation with materials, utilizing a delicate structure of white paper—often Japanese washi paper—stretched over a minimalist wooden frame to create a soft, diffused light reminiscent of bioluminescent marine life.

The design embodies the Italian modernist ethos of the era, balancing industrial production with the aesthetic warmth of handcrafted materials. By favoring simplicity and the inherent properties of the paper, the designers moved away from the heavy metallic fixtures common in mid-century lighting. While it remains a niche piece within the wider Flos catalog, it is recognized as a quintessential example of radical 1960s design that prioritizes atmospheric quality over rigid structural form.