They’re being phased out in Europe and in many other countries around the world (but not in the U.S.), but there’s no denying that the soft, yellow glow from incandescent light bulbs—especially the low-Wattage Edison original that’s a staple in any Brooklyn-chic bar or restaurant—hasn’t been matched by fluorescent or LED alternatives. Until now. Lancaster, PA-based artist Luke Anderson partneres with a ceramicist and a glass blower to create a larger-than-life modern version of the Edison bulb called Alva—the famous inventor’s middle name—built with modern LED technology but with the nostalgic glow of the original.

Lancaster took his design for Alva to Kickstarter in search of $4,000 to move the lamp into production, but the concept has exploded and the campaign has already raised over $27,500 with 12 days to go. Anderson described his process on Alva’s Kickstarter page:

Last fall I began working on Alva. I sketched pages of variations to determine the best way to display a glowing coil. It took me several weeks and many materials until I found the best solution for the filament itself. I toyed with the idea of not using a glass bulb, or replacing the glass with a simple wire to suggest the bulb shape while leaving the filament exposed. In the end, I felt that the way Edison displayed his prototypes for demonstration would be best…a simple base holding a bulb vertically.

The glass bulb and ceramic base are both hand made, making standardization difficult. Anderson modeled the lamp in CAD and used the 3-D files to create molds for the final lamp. The lamp stands17.5 inches tall and is available in brown, white, or black. You can reserve your Alva by contributing to the Kickstarter campaign and the lamp is expected to retail for $550 once in full production.

[Via Jetson Green.]