Our PH Artichoke replica in white is a 48 cm pendant light made of 72 white leaves that wrap around the bulb, so you see a soft glow from every angle instead of a bright point of light. It is the smallest size of Poul Henningsen’s 1958 design, which makes it the easiest Artichoke to live with in an everyday home.
The 48 cm size suits a dining table for four, a bedroom, a stairwell or a hallway with enough ceiling height. The white finish keeps the light gentle and sits quietly in light Scandinavian rooms with white walls and pale wood. It takes a standard E27 bulb and works with LED.
This is a reproduction made by Sederica and inspired by the 1958 design. It is not made by, or connected to, the company that first produced the lamp.
PH Artichoke 48 cm White: Key Features
- 72 overlapping leaves: the rows follow the 12-row layout of the 1958 design, and each row covers the gap in the row below. There is no straight line from your eye to the bulb, so there is no glare whether you sit at the table, walk down the stairs or lie in bed.
- White finish: white leaves spread the light softly instead of throwing back bright reflections. The lamp looks calm against a white ceiling, while the shadows between the rows keep the layered shape clear.
- 48 cm diameter: the smallest of the four standard sizes of the design. You get the full Artichoke shape without crowding a table for four or a compact room.
- Light down and around: most of the light falls onto the table or floor below, and some escapes between the leaves to light the leaves themselves. The lamp glows as an object, not only as a light source.
- Standard E27 fitting, LED-compatible: E27 bulbs are sold in every EU country, so you can choose the brightness and warmth that suit your room.
Why Choose a White Artichoke Pendant Light?
White is the softest-looking finish for this design. White leaves do not mirror the room the way polished metal does, so light comes off them evenly and the lamp reads as a pale, layered form. Metal finishes catch reflections and look sharper and more modern.
That makes the white artichoke lamp a natural match for light Scandinavian rooms: white or greige walls, pale oak or ash floors, linen and light wood chairs. On a white ceiling it blends in when switched off, so you notice the shape without it taking over the room.
If your room leans towards grey walls, black fittings, concrete or a steel kitchen, our silver Artichoke pendant usually sits better. Both are 48 cm across, so the finish is the main decision.
How the Leaves of This Artichoke Lamp Replica Shape the Light
Henningsen worked for decades on one problem: how to light a room without showing the bare bulb. The Artichoke is his answer in sculptural form. The leaves hang from a central frame in layered rows, and a top shade closes off the bulb from above.
Light from the bulb hits the inside of the leaves and bounces down onto the leaves below. By the time it leaves the lamp, it has already been softened. That is why the light on your table and walls looks even rather than patchy.
In our photos you can see the white leaves on a silver-coloured frame and top cap, hung from fine suspension wires with a central power cable.
Design Background: The 1958 Langelinie Lamp
In 1958 Henningsen was asked to light the new Langelinie Pavilion, a modernist restaurant on the Copenhagen waterfront designed by the architects Eva and Nils Koppel. The brief called for a light that would not dazzle diners from any angle, and the answer was the Artichoke, first made in copper with a pale rose underside. Pendants from that first commission still hang in the restaurant today (the story of the lamp at Sworders). Louis Poulsen still produces the lamp today; ours is a replica of the same 1958 design.
Size Guide: Where a Small Artichoke Pendant Light Works Best
The 48 cm Artichoke is the smallest standard size, but it is still a substantial pendant. The shade is almost as tall as it is wide, so plan for its height as well as its width. For dining tables, a simple rule is a lamp about half to two thirds of the table’s width, which puts a 48 cm lamp over tables roughly 75 to 95 cm wide.
| Space | Does 48 cm suit it? | Hanging tip |
|---|---|---|
| Round table for four (about 90 to 110 cm) | Yes, the classic use | 70 to 85 cm from tabletop to the lowest leaves |
| Rectangular table for four (about 80 to 90 cm wide) | Yes | Centre it over the table, not over the room |
| Table for six or more | Can look small on its own | Two 48 cm lamps in a row, about 70 cm apart |
| Hallway or entrance | Yes, with a ceiling of about 2.6 m or more | Keep about 2.1 m clear between floor and leaves |
| Bedroom | Yes, centred on the ceiling | No visible bulb when you lie down to read |
| Stairwell | Yes | Hang it in the open space; it stays glare-free from above and below |
| Kitchen island | One lamp over a short island | For a long island, use two lamps or a row of smaller pendants |
A taller ceiling lets you hang the lamp a little lower without the room feeling crowded. If the Artichoke will be the only light in the room, add a floor or table lamp, because like any pendant it lights the area below it best.
PH Artichoke Replica Specifications
| Product | PH Artichoke Replica – White, 48 cm Pendant Light |
| Design reference | Artichoke pendant by Poul Henningsen, 1958 |
| Made by | Sederica (replica, not connected to the 1958 manufacturer) |
| Diameter | 48 cm (Ø48) |
| Leaves | 72, in overlapping rows |
| Colour | White leaves, silver-coloured frame and top cap |
| Light | Glare-free, mainly downward, with a glow through the leaves |
| Bulb fitting | E27, LED-compatible |
| Type | Ceiling pendant on suspension wires |
Installation should be carried out by a qualified electrician. Ask them to check that your ceiling fixing point can hold the lamp’s weight before fitting.
Is the White 48 cm Artichoke Right for You?
A good choice if you:
- have a table for four, a bedroom, a stairwell or a hallway with a high ceiling
- want soft light with no bulb in sight
- have a light Scandinavian or mid-century modern room
- want a light that still looks like a design piece when it is switched off
Consider another light if:
- your table seats six or more and you only want one pendant, as a single 48 cm lamp can look small there
- it will hang over a walkway with a ceiling under about 2.5 m, where keeping enough headroom is hard
- you prefer a reflective metal look, in which case the silver 48 cm version suits you better
- you want a lighter, see-through look: try our Caboche 50 cm transparent pendant
- you need a row of lights over a long kitchen island: see our Beat Wide LED pendant set
- you want a plug-in lamp you can fit yourself, as this is a ceiling pendant for an electrician to connect
White or Silver? How Our Pendant Lights Compare
| White Artichoke 48 cm (this lamp) | Silver Artichoke 48 cm | Caboche 50 cm transparent | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Look when off | Pale, soft, layered | Metallic, reflective | Clear, see-through |
| How the light feels | Soft and even | Brighter highlights on the leaves | Light passes through the clear shade |
| Rooms it suits | White walls, pale wood, Scandinavian rooms | Grey, black, concrete and steel | Rooms where a solid shade would feel heavy |
| Diameter | 48 cm | 48 cm | 50 cm |
Pairing the lamp with chairs? A table for four under a white Artichoke works well with our Eames-style dining chairs.
Caring for a White Artichoke Ceiling Light
- Switch off and let the bulb cool before you clean.
- Dust every few weeks with a soft brush, feather duster or microfibre glove, working round each row from the top down. Dust settles on the top edges of the leaves and shows as grey lines once the lamp is lit.
- Near a hob, cooking vapour leaves a sticky film. Wipe the leaves with a cloth barely damp with water and a drop of washing-up liquid, then dry them, and keep water away from the bulb holder and cable.
- Hold the lamp by the frame or top cap, not by single leaves, as a leaf pushed out of line breaks the even pattern of light.
- Avoid sprays, solvents and scouring pads, which can dull or mark a white finish.
- Change the bulb with the power switched off.
PH Artichoke White: Your Questions
What size room or table suits a 48 cm artichoke lamp, and is there a 60 cm version?
The 48 cm size suits a table for four, a bedroom, a hallway or a small to medium living room. The design comes in four standard diameters: 48, 60, 72 and 84 cm, and we sell the 48 cm. A 60 cm artichoke lamp is the next step up for tables of six or larger open-plan rooms; two 48 cm lamps in a row over a long table are another option.
How high should the lamp hang above a dining table?
Start with 70 to 85 cm between the tabletop and the lowest leaves. That keeps the light close to the table without blocking the view of the person opposite you. With a ceiling above about 2.7 m, you can hang it slightly lower, so ask your electrician to set the drop before the final fixing.
Does the white finish give warmer or softer light?
Softer, not warmer. The warmth comes from the bulb’s colour temperature, and a 2700 K bulb gives a warm white. White leaves spread that light evenly with no metallic highlights, so the glow looks smoother than on a metal finish.
What bulb does it need, and does it suit UK homes?
It takes a standard E27 screw bulb, and LED bulbs work. For dining and living rooms we suggest a warm white (2700 K) frosted LED of around 800 lumens, or brighter if it is the room’s main light. Many UK ceiling lights use B22 bayonet bulbs, but this artichoke light fitting uses E27, which UK shops also stock. If you want to dim it, use a dimmable LED bulb with an LED-compatible dimmer switch.
Who designed the Artichoke in 1958, and who makes this one?
Poul Henningsen designed the Artichoke in 1958 for the Langelinie Pavilion in Copenhagen. This lamp is a replica made by Sederica, based on that design. It is not made by, endorsed by or connected to the designer’s estate or the company that first produced the lamp.
Explore more pieces in our designer lighting replica collection.
Sederica sells independent replicas. This lamp is not made by, licensed by or connected to Louis Poulsen. Louis Poulsen and PH Artichoke are used only to describe the design this replica is based on.
See our Legal Disclaimer for terms.
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