Vintage “Sera” pendant lamp by Jo Hammerborg for Fog and Mørup, Denmark 1960

The Sera pendant light first appears in the record in 1968 and with its diameter of 40 cm and height of 10cm is the flattest, broadest member of Jo Hammerborg's Saturn series – a collection of lights in which Hammerborg explored the art of balance and proportion in form through a structure of two concentric cylindrical bands in many different variations of height and width. The outermost cylindrical bands in this series often have warm-coloured interior faces, so that when the lamp is lit the color reflects onto the outer surfaces of the inner bands, creating a somewhat psychedelic effect. In the case of the Sera, the reflecting colour is cerise, a strong rose pink. This particular example of the Sera is in excellent original condition with minimal wear, and the interior cerise paintwork remains strong and bright. The lamp retains its textured glare-preventing perspex diffuser and takes two standard E27 Edison screw bulbs. Johannes (Jo) Hammerborg grew up right outside of Randers, in a regular middle-class family. He trained as a silversmith, participated in Denmark’s resistance and struggle for freedom in 1940-45 as a saboteur, studied at the Royal Danish Academy of Fine Arts and worked as a silversmith at Georg Jensen. In 1957, he was hired as a chief designer at the lamp manufacturer Fog and Mørup, where he worked until 1980. Reference : 307643