Japanese artist Ryosuke Fukusada  created a working wooden light bulb by designing an extremely thin wooden shell that wraps around an LED light. Welcome to the future, baby!

LEDs produce little heat, so there’s very little risk of fire. The result? A soft glowing effect that’s both sustainable and gorgeous.

Fukusada’s bulb was created using an old school Japanese technique called Rokuro, allowing him to chip the wooden shell to the thinnest skin possible so as to create a design that touched on modernity and history. To give the bulb an even more contemporary look with today’s light fixtures, he designed its socket with aluminum. Fukasada’s vision has paid off: his Wooden Light Bulb project is the winner of the Kyoto Renaissance design competition and is still under development, according to the artist’s website.

“The traditional craft technique is the real value behind the bulb,” Fukusada said. “More than just a lamp, the bulb means to preserve cultural heritage and man’s timeless link to his true roots, nature. It was wood that gave light and heat to the oldest of civilizations. This lovely illuminant contrivance is perhaps symbolic of that golden age.”

MassAppeal