Without a doubt, Pod is reminiscent of “a miniature lunar landing module,” as its creator announces. But this pendant lamp recalls other fabulous objects: a Catholic censer, The Jetsons’ aerocar, a Magic 8 Ball, and the Troglodistes’ metal helmets in City of Lost Children. Which is to say that Pod ignites the imagination, sparking a slew of fantastical visions. If found hundreds of years from now as part of a futuristic dig, people will ascribe hundreds of uses for Pod—none of which will be as simple as illumination.

Pod. Designed by Eleek Inc.

Futuristic Lighting From the Great Beyond

And yet, Pod is, above all else, a pendant lamp. Hanging from its reticulated chain (stainless steel flex conduit), the metal orb sends a beam of light “down to the other-worldly terrain of your desk or kitchen counter,” making your very house alien. The light gets filtered through a clear Kokomo glass lens (America’s oldest art glass company, which hails from 1888—another realm altogether). Pod shines down a lambent stream—like the phosphorescent glow of a comet’s tail, or the shiny streak of a meteoroid, or the radiant effulgence of a Martian craft coming to whisk you away to some distant galaxy.

This fanciful little creature is made of 100% recycled cast aluminum or 90% recycled cast bronze. Pod comes standard with a smooth River Rock finish, although you can request patinas or colored powdercoats. You can also get Pod to multiply: the pendants can be grouped to create custom chandeliering. At 4½” tall with a 4⅝” diameter, Pod is the Mercury of this solar system, which is known as Eleek Inc. This Oregon-based company features the handiwork of Eric Kaster (note the name; it validates the theory of predestination), who is a third-generation patternmaker (caster), “a rare thing these days.” (In case you’re interested, patternmaking is a skilled trade that’s hard to learn and harder still to master wherein the patternmaker designs and executes molds for casting).

Kaster is the mastermind behind Pod, as well as an entire collection of spectacular lighting (see Calliope, a musical, circus-inspired chandelier), plus sinks, tiles, and hardware. Kaster’s products “sometimes feel old, like relics recovered from archeological ruins.” Pod seems less like it came from the ground—and more like it entered the atmosphere from space.