Hotaru Marker Light, 2016

Hotaru Marker paper pendant light by Barber Osgerby for Ozeki + Co Ltd.

In collaboration with twentytwentyone, leading British designers Barber & Osgerby have created a new range of paper lighting drawing on the heritage of Japanese lantern-making. The Hotaru collection represents the perfect unison of traditional craft with an enduring aesthetic that is as modern as it is timeless.

Named after the Japanese word for ‘firefly’, the collection is manufactured by Ozeki & Co Ltd, a celebrated Japanese company dedicated to making paper lanterns since 1891. Ozeki has previously collaborated with numerous Japanese artists and designers and worked with Isamu Noguchi on the production of his Akari light sculptures.

“We have always loved the simplicity and beauty of Japanese paper lanterns and have often talked about designing them. In 2012 whilst Edward was travelling through central Japan he visited Ozeki, the famous paper lantern manufacturer to learn more about the craft. After a conversation with the owner of the family-run business, this project was born.” Edward Barber and Jay Osgerby.

Marker is the third design in Hotaru lighting family, launched at the London Design Festival in 2016. the design continues Barber & Osgerby’s exploration of pure sculptural forms and is scaled to complement the two sizes of Buoy and Double Bubble (available from the product range below).

The Hotaru collection was awarded the Design Guild Mark in 2022.