Unique and Early Ceiling Lamp
1957
Model no. 12521
Painted aluminium, painted metal, white acrylic produced by Riboli, Italy.
The upper shade with four uplights, and a single socket in the lower element.
With manufacturer's paper label and authenticity decal from the Arredoluce Archives applied to upper shade.
History:
Ettore Sottsass designed a range of lighting for Arredoluce in 1957. Each model incorporated a combination of metal and acrylic in bright colours. A small number of lamps named after the planets were executed with metal wire to hold the shades and include the present example. Each of these pieces were a evidently a unique design, and it is understood that only a small handful of models from this particular series were ever produced.
Sottsass recalled '... how the lamps with wires, linked to research concerning parallel surfaces, came before my journey to the United States in 1956, where I worked in George Nelson's studio for a few months. It was an important experience allowing me to become acquainted with the industrial culture in the States and freed me from the language of craftsmanship that was still so widespread in Italy...'
The original study drawings for the series are held at CSAC Archive, Parma, and the Arredoluce Archive in Milan.
Literature:
Magazine, 'Domus', July, 1957, p.46-47, for other examples from the series. Pansera, Pansera, Anty, Padoan, Alessandra, Palmaghini, Alessandro, 'Arredoluce, Catalogue Ragionato, 1943-1987´, Silvana Editoriale (Italy) 2018, p. 66-68 and p. 108-109 (details on Sottsass and his relationship with Arredoluce), p. 180 (two other examples from the series), p. 307 (other examples from the series).
Ref: 2503050