Kyoto-based designer Ryosuke Fukusada has drawn on ancient craft techniques to create a contemporary light bulb made of wood for Austrian LED company Ledon.

When turned off, the bulb has the appearance of solid wood. Yet when turned on, the LED light inside permeates the form for a soft glow that highlights the material's natural grain. The unusual design is only made possible by using LEDs as they remain cool enough not to burn the wood, while the denser material (as opposed to conventional glass) softens the bright light.

The ultra-thin wooden form is made using a traditional Japanese lathe technique known as Rokuro, which allows the wood to be carved to just 2-3mm thick – making it translucent enough for the LED light inside to show through. The pine used is 100 years old, and can be made this fine without losing its structural integrity.

As depicted in our S/S 16 Design Direction Renew and our Materials Focus 2016 concept Super Natural, we are seeing an increase in the advanced processing of natural materials as designers and engineers push the boundaries for innovative and unusual applications.