Italian 'Viscontea' Cocoon Pendant by Castiglioni for Flos, 1960s

An Italian 'Viscontea' cocoon pendant designed by Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni for Flos from the 1960s

The shade expands through a broad middle before drawing inward at the top and bottom. Repeated ribs pull the surface into projecting fins, creating a rhythm of rounded points and concave curves. From below, these contours form a star-like arrangement around the circular opening, giving the pendant a distinct presence from every angle.

The cocoon is a sprayed resin skin over a metal framework, mimicking the softly mottled appearance of goatskin parchment. Fine overlapping strands and variations in density give the surface depth, while the underlying ribs remain visible through the translucent material. Its aged ivory tone is punctuated by scattered darker marks.

The Cocoon technique represents an important moment in Italian lighting design, when designers began experimenting with industrial materials in ways that challenged traditional ideas of craftsmanship. Rather than relying on glass, metal, or conventional fabric shades, the Castiglioni brothers embraced a sprayed synthetic material capable of producing complex, lightweight forms. The resulting surface has the visual delicacy of parchment but belongs to a distinctly modern approach to production.

When illuminated, the shade takes on a warm amber glow. Light reveals the irregular texture of the resin, with brighter fields between the darker lines of the frame. The structure becomes part of the lighting effect, tracing the form from within.

Suspended from a simple cord and circular metal canopy, the pendant brings softness above a dining table or as visual focus to an entry. In a bedroom, its diffused light creates a more intimate atmosphere.