The Hemisphere Pendant Lamp took a somewhat circuitous route to NeoCon10. The beautiful translucent/transparent orb was designed by NYC architectural firm Shelton, Mindel, and Associates; manufactured by Mamaroneck, NY’s Nessen Lighting; and distributed by NeoCon neighbor One Source. That may seem to be a lot of cooks in the kitchen to for one singularly exquisite hanging light, but then Hemisphere seems to have a bit of a dual personality–Hemisphere’s two sides are born of a delicious detail that renders the piece visually striking: the hand blown diffuser is clear on the top and frosted on the bottom. And before you go jumping into cereal metaphors, I'll just point out that Hemisphere may have a surface duality, but its inner workings consist of more than two sides.

Hemisphere Pendant Lamp.

Hemisphere’s flush-mount base is a cornucopia of options: brass in polished, brushed, or antique finish; chrome in satin or high sheen; and polished or satin nickel. The intra-shade center stem (resembling a miniaturized science beaker) is made from clear acrylic, and the shade is held in place by three barely visible knurled pins.

It’s good to see a piece like Hemisphere at NeoCon. I’m not complaining, mind you, but after three days of high-utility contract product, it’s refreshing to encounter a smallish gem of art for art’s sake (or A & D for A & D’s sake). Hemisphere has a precious aspect to it that, to my mind, aligns it with the artier side of product design. In its evocation of containment–and it looks as if it might house some rare life-sustaining elixir–it resembles another pendant lamp from a few weeks back, Ernesto Gismondi’s Miconos. This is rarefied company indeed. And the designers of both products would doubtless be pleased at the comparison.