“Dandelion” Sputnik Chandelier – Emil Stejnar for Rupert Nikoll

• Emil Stejnar for Rupert Nikoll, so-called “Dandelion” or “Snowflake” chandelier, Austria, circa 1960.
• Very fine example, well preserved.
• Wiring checked.
• Gold LED bulbs are supplied with this fixture.
• H 95 cm × diameter 40 cm.

Sputnik “Dandelion” Chandelier by Emil Stejnar for Rupert Nikoll

This brass and glass Sputnik “Dandelion” chandelier, designed by Emil Stejnar for Rupert Nikoll, is part of the post-war Viennese design revival. Developed in the mid-1950s, this model features a radiating structure composed of multiple metal rods topped with glass elements, evoking an expanding inflorescence.

In Vienna, this period saw a transformation of social venues. By the late 1960s, traditional cafés were declining while espresso establishments rapidly grew. Gradually, the two models converged: espresso machines replaced Carlsbad coffee, spaces opened up, and seating and newspapers were found together in a modernized setting.

Architects and designers were then commissioned to conceive these new interiors. Emil Stejnar, trained as a goldsmith and active at Rupert Nikoll, created an emblematic light fixture around 1955 for the “Ohne Pause Espresso” café, located on the Graben in Vienna. This spherical brass pendant, adorned with glass elements, projects complex light effects onto the walls and ceiling. Inspired notably by the imagery of stellar phenomena, Stejnar developed a formal language based on the multiplication of light points.

The “Dandelion” models and their “Pyra” variants are part of this research. They illustrate an approach where light becomes a compositional element in its own right, both decorative and structural within the space. The manufacturer Rupert Nikoll, active in Austria from the 1950s to the 1970s, largely contributed to the dissemination of these light fixtures, which are now sought after for their manufacturing quality and sculptural presence.