Japanese 'Garbo' Fringe Pendant by Mariyo Yagi & Studio Simon for Sirrah, 1970s - 2 Available

A Japanese ‘Garbo’ fringe pendant designed by Mariyo Yagi and Studio Simon for Sirrah in the 1970s, conceived less as a conventional light fixture than as a suspended plane of textile and light.

The pendant is formed from hundreds of fine white cords descending from a narrow rectangular ceiling mount. Hung closely together, the individual strands visually merge into a sheer, softly defined volume, yet remain light enough to move and separate. The lower edge is intentionally left loose rather than contained by a frame, giving the otherwise rigorous rectangular silhouette an unexpected softness.

Hidden within the fringe is a linear arrangement of five bulbs. Rather than enclosing the light behind a traditional shade, the cords act as a screen: each filament catches and diffuses the illumination, multiplying the glow across hundreds of vertical lines. When lit, the pendant shifts dramatically, becoming warmer and more atmospheric while the bulbs remain partially visible through the textile.

Mariyo Yagi’s work frequently explored the relationship between material, space, and human interaction, and the ‘Garbo’ pendant captures that sensibility particularly well. Here, something as simple as thread is used architecturally, defining a volume without enclosing it and allowing light, air, and movement to pass through.

The design is especially compelling in the way it changes according to viewpoint. From a distance, the cords read almost as a solid curtain; approached more closely, the construction becomes increasingly transparent. The strands can be parted to reveal the lighting structure within, emphasizing the contrast between the simple technical core and the volume created around it.

Sold and priced individually.

About Mariyo Yagi
Mariyo Yagi (1948–2024) was a Japanese artist and designer whose work moved fluidly between sculpture, environmental art, textiles, performance, and lighting. Born in Kobe, she studied at Kyoto City University of Arts before working with Isamu Noguchi from 1973 to 1976, an experience that reinforced her interest in the relationship between objects, space, and the surrounding environment. Throughout her career, Yagi developed a distinctive practice centered on nawa, the Japanese word for rope, using twisting, hanging, and interwoven forms to explore connection and movement.

In the 1970s, Yagi also worked with Italian design entrepreneur Dino Gavina, creating the celebrated Garbo lighting series for Sirrah. Composed of minimal ceiling structures and long cascades of textile fringe, the lamps transform light into an architectural curtain—simultaneously defining and dissolving space. First produced by Sirrah in the 1970s, the Garbo designs reflect Yagi’s broader fascination with line, movement, and immaterial boundaries and remain among her most recognizable contributions to modern design.