Cordless lamps may still be the Black Sheep of the designer lighting flock—but not for long. Designed by Luca Nichetto for Salvatori, Teo Lamp now comes in a cordless version. The paper and stone portable lamp is also unique because of its contrasting materials.

Teo cordless lamp pays homage to architect I.M. Pei (the man behind the Louvre’s pyramid). Like Pei’s work, Teo also highlights juxtaposition. “Combining the delicateness of paper and the elegant solidity of natural stone, this charming and original expression of harmony creates the perfect mood lighting,” Salvatori writes.

Teo cordless plays with notions of lightness and weight, of course—but it also questions what exactly constitutes a lamp. The preconceived idea for the object “lamp” usually brings to mind glass. Can a paper lamp even be considered a lamp?

There is yet another paradox presented by Teo. Designer Luca Nichetto explains, “This project took a bit of time to achieve the desired result, which is interesting because the inspiration comes from a simple gesture: rolling a piece of paper and placing it into a marble base.”

For more fabulous cordless lamps, see Portables by Tom Dixon.