by Shane Henson — December 14, 2012—Leucos USA, a brand of Italy-based FDV Group specializing in hand-blown lighting products for hospitality, commercial and high-end residential markets, has released its Eva Zeisel Collection, a line that the renowned industrial designer styled with her own hands before passing away at 105 years old.
A self-declared “maker of useful things,” Eva Zeisel created an assortment that includes two pendants, two wall sconces and two table lamps. The new pieces show off her signature style and are inspired by organic forms with soft curves like those of the human body, says Leucos.
The lights first came to life as cutout models, a free-hand technique typical of Zeisel’s work. They were then placed in the care of skilled Italian Murano glassmakers. After feeling the smooth contours of the resulting glass fixtures, she declared that the two styles in the collection would be called Spring and Summer.
Spring’s silhouette is emblematic of many of Zeisel’s distinctive masterpieces, says Leucos. Characterized by soft curves and fluid lines, Zeisel’s subtly drawn design presented a challenge to translating into fragile hand-blown Murano glass. The svelte shape of Spring comes in several models, including pendant, wall sconce and table. Most unusual is the shade-less table lamp, which emits ambient light and resembles a glowing sculpture. It is accented with polished chrome at its base. The color palette for Zeisel’s creations reflects the natural aesthetic of the lights. Spring is offered in smooth, glossy white as well as glossy honey, and is 6″ at its widest point and 19″ high.
In Zeisel’s words, Summer is the “cousin” of Spring. Like Spring, Summer was first conceived as a cut-out model and boasts some of the same gentle curves, except it is rounder and wider. With a more voluptuous shape, it is almost as if it “bloomed” from the narrower Spring. Summer is available in a pendant, table and wall sconce configuration. The pendant model has a slightly rounded indentation at the bottom, while the table light’s base is flat and accented by polished chrome. Summer comes in smooth, glossy white, as well as glossy honey and measures 11″ at its widest point and 12″ high, says Leucos.
