The shimmering Mercury Suspension Lamp from Artemide seems more like a work of art than a functional light. The plastic, aluminum and stainless fixture is at once a sculpture and a ceiling light.
The fixture casts a soft light by reflection. The polished chrome pebbles -- so-called by the designer because oblate spheroids sounds kind of stuffy -- that dangle from stainless wires are of two varieties. Plastic ones coated with a glossy chrome finish are just pretty faces, reflecting light. Other pebbles are cast from aluminum and hold a halogen bulb.
A simple aluminum canopy reflects light back down onto the pebbles. An aluminum plate connected to the ceiling provides the electrical junction.
This light is just as fascinating off as it is on. The pebbles capture slight air currents, natural light and movements of people in the room, turning the fixture into a dynamic sculpture.
Also available in the Mercury collection are a ceiling mount luminiere and a modular cluster light.
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