Sax
A wall lamp on a wooden scissor arm that extends and folds like an accordion, with a pleated shade, designed by Erik Hansen in 1952 and made by Le Klint.
- Designed by
- Erik Hansen
- Made by
- Le Klint
- First made
- 1952
Pictures © Le Klint, from leklint.com.
Why it is renowned
The Sax is known for its arm: a wooden scissor that pulls out and folds back like an accordion, so the light goes where it is needed.1 Le Klint counts it among its most popular lamps, and for many the pairing of its pleated paper shade with natural wood stands for the house itself.23 It has been widely copied.3
The story
Erik Hansen, an industrial engineer, wanted a reading lamp for his bedroom and, finding none to suit him, built a wall lamp that extended and retracted.2 His wife, Ruth Hansen, took it to the Le Klint shop in Copenhagen to buy a shade for it; the staff and the sales director, Allan Bock, liked the lamp enough that Le Klint put it into production in 1952.2
Over the years it has been made as an uplight and a downlight in several woods.3 It comes today in light oak and smoked oak, with a paper or a standard pleated shade and in more than one arm length.1
Sources
- Le Klint 223-120 Sax, Le Klint. leklint.com, read 1 October 2026.
- Our History, Le Klint. leklint.com, read 1 October 2026.
- Erik Hansen, Le Klint. leklint.com, read 1 October 2026.
Last checked 1 October 2026, against the maker's own pages.