PH 4½-4 Pendant
The three-shade lighting system was developed in 1925–1926 by Danish designer Poul Henningsen in collaboration with Louis Poulsen for an exhibition in Paris. This partnership continued throughout Henningsen’s life, until his death in 1967.
Henningsen’s ambition was to create glare-free lighting that directed illumination precisely where it was needed, while also producing soft, comfortable shadows. Working with incandescent bulbs, he pioneered a scientific approach to lighting design, using the logarithmic spiral to shape the shades. This ensured an even distribution of light across their surfaces, allowing for effective control of glare and shadow.
The PH 4½–4 Glass Pendant is part of this extensive three-shade family, which today includes around 30 models, including outdoor variants. Rather than designing a single lamp, Henningsen created a comprehensive system, with nearly a thousand variations produced over time. These included table, floor, and wall lamps, as well as chandeliers—particularly popular in the 1930s for illuminating rooms with high ceilings.
The system offered remarkable flexibility, with numerous combinations of sizes, colours, and materials. Early versions featured metal shades with painted undersides in white, gold, or silver to create different lighting effects—diffuse, warm, or cool. Later, glass shades were introduced, adding ambient illumination to the downward-directed light.
Each shade is positioned to reduce light evenly according to its distance from the source. The model numbers refer to the size of the top shade and its corresponding lower shades. In “pure” models, such as the 2/2, all shades are proportionally matched. The PH 4½–4 Glass Pendant, however, is a “hybrid” model: it features a top shade of approximately 45 cm combined with lower shades from the 4/4 configuration. These hybrid designs were introduced to accommodate practical needs, such as suspending pendants at lower heights.
The system has been adapted across wall, table, and floor lamps as well. The PH 4½–4 Glass Pendant in its current form was introduced in 1980, continuing the legacy of Henningsen’s timeless and scientifically grounded lighting design.
Light concept
The fixture is designed based on the principle of a reflective three-shade system, which directs the majority of the light downwards. The shades are made of mouth-blown opal three-layer glass, which is glossy on top and sandblasted matt on the underside, giving a soft and uniform light distribution.
Product details
Light source 1x70W E27
Other information
Material: Shades in mouth-blown white opal glass with the suspension unit in bright chrome plated aluminium. Canopy: Yes Cord length: 3 m. Cord type: Black fabric w/wire
Size & measurements
Size (mm): 450 (width) x 410 (Height) x 450 (Length)
Weight:11.0 kg
Mounting
3 m. Cord and wire.
Canopy included.
