An assortment of lights in various spherical silhouettes, the Nelson Bubble Lamps add a touch of softness and luminosity to interiors. Designed by George Nelson in 1952, these elegant fixtures are fashioned from a sturdy, lightweight steel frame yet have a delicate, floating quality, whether in ceiling-hung, floor, table, or wall-mounted variations.
Nelson was inspired by a set of silk-covered Swedish hanging lamps that he wanted to acquire for his office, but he found the price to be prohibitive. An ingenious and resourceful designer, he went on to create the first set of Nelson Bubble Lamps using a translucent white plastic spray, a technique developed by the U.S. military at the time. Nelson drew from elemental, organic shapes in making variations like the Apple Bubble Pendant, the Pear Wall Sconce, the Lotus Table Lamp, and the Saucer Pendant Lamp, among others.
The Bubble lamp sconce is constructed with a 2-inch-thick walnut mount and a brushed-nickel steel arm that extends approximately 14 inches. Each Sconce is UL listed and rated for bulbs up to 150 watts (60 watt max for saucer) and comes with a 12' foot cord. The Sconce arm has a swivel hinge and adjustable 144 inch long plug-in cord with a counterweight, allowing for height adjustment from left-to-right, and up-and-down, without having to change its position on the wall. There is an on/off pull chain with a solid walnut end cap. Bulb is not included.
nelson bubble lamp wall sconce ball
By George Nelson, From Herman Miller- Design + Manufacturing
- Design George Nelson, 1952
- Made by Herman Miller
- Dimensions
- shade: 12" h | 12.75" dia | overall: 16.75" h UL rated | requires 1x150W bulb
- Materials
- Steel skeleton, self-webbing soft plastic, solid walnut, nickel
- Shipping Time
- usually ships in 4 - 6 weeks
- sustainable brand
- historically significant
- museum piece
- mid-century modern
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