Skip to main content

Ico Parisi Lighting

Italian, 1916-1996

Domenico “Ico” Parisi was one half of a prolific postwar design duo he comprised with his wife, Luisa. Their furniture designs are known for running the stylistic gamut, with celebrated mid-century modern pieces ranging from elegantly skeletal — like dramatic ebonized dining chairs — to plush and shapely, like the iconic 1951 Egg chair, in a plethora of materials.

The son of an art teacher father, Ico Parisi was exposed to art at an early age. Born in 1916 in the Sicilian capital of Palermo, he and his family moved to Como in 1925. There, the young Parisi would begin to develop his interest in architecture and design. After earning a degree as a building inspector in 1936 and working as a civil engineer, Parisi took on an apprenticeship in the studio of Giuseppe Terragni, the modernist, fascist Italian architect, pioneer of the Rationalist movement and creator of the iconic Casa del Fascio.

While working for Terragni, Parisi crossed paths with such contemporary design talents as Lucio Fontana, Bruno Munari and Pietro Lingeri, though he briefly moved away from design and architecture to explore photography and film. His artistic work would soon be interrupted, however, by the outbreak of World War II, during which he served at the front before returning to Como in 1943. There, he resumed work as a designer and architect, founding two architecture groups: the Alta Quota and the Gruppo Como.

Through his creative circles, Parisi met Luisa Aiani, a former student of the prolific architect and furniture designer Gio Ponti, who was affiliated with the Alta Quota. They married in 1947 and founded the studio La Ruota — a cross between a design firm and an intellectual salon — in Como shortly thereafter. In 1950, Parisi finally completed his architectural schooling, studying under the nationalist architect Alberto Sartoris at the Athenaeum Architecture School in Lausanne, Switzerland. He and Aiani began several decades of sophisticated output, designing curved sofas upholstered in yellow velvet and armchairs with slender mahogany frames for enduring Italian manufacturers such as Cassina and others.

Much like Charles and Ray Eames in America, the Parisis worked as a team and relied on experimentation in style and material for many of their designs. Ico Parisi died in Como in 1996.

Find a collection of vintage Ico Parisi coffee tables, dining chairs and more on 1stDibs.

6
to
5
1
6
6
6
5
6
4
2
3
2
Height
to
Width
to
4
2
6
3
1
1
1
6
6
240
1,440
1,355
1,250
1,090
Creator: Ico Parisi
Ico Parisi sconces model 256 by Arteluce Italy 1964
By Ico Parisi
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare large sconces model 256 designed by Ico Parisi and manufactured by Arteluce in Italy in 1964. These elegant lamps have the original frosted glass shades inside, giving a lovely ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal

Ico Parisi wall sconce lamp with extensible brass arm
By Ico Parisi
Located in Milano, IT
Ico Parisi (1916-1996) Rare wall sconce lamp with extensible brass arm and cherry wood structure, lacquered metal hat. Stilnovo manufacture, 1950s. 95/140x40 stem 40
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal, Brass

20th Century Ico Parisi Table Lamp Mod. Palpebra for Lamperti, 70s
By Ico Parisi, Lamperti
Located in Turin, Turin
Ico Parisi was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1916, but as early as 1925 with his family he moved to Como, where in 1936 he graduated as a building surveyor and served an apprenticeship ...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Chrome

20th Century Ico Parisi Pair of Pendant Lamps in Methacrylate for Terraneo, 60s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Turin, Turin
Ico Parisi was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1916, but as early as 1925 with his family he moved to Como, where in 1936 he graduated as a building surveyor and served an apprenticeship ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Steel

Ico Parisi Sconce, Lacquered Metal, Glass, Arteluce, Italy, C. 1960s
By Arteluce, Ico Parisi
Located in High Point, NC
A lacquered metal and glass sconce / wall light designed by Ico Parisi and produced by Arteluce, Italy, c. 1960s. Dimensions of back plate (inches) : 4.14 x 2.36 x 0.89 (height x ...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal

Ico Parisi Floor Lamp Iride for Lamperti - Italian Design 1970s
By Lamperti, Ico Parisi
Located in Milan, IT
The floor lamp mod. Iride is a joyful invention by Ico Parisi for Lamperti and embodies the desire for revolution and inspiration of the 1970s. With a lightweight aluminum and metal ...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal, Aluminum

Related Items
V-Lite-Brass Table Lamp or Wall Sconce with Perforated Shade
By Atelier de Troupe
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Designed in collaboration with Commune design, the V-Lite doubles as a table lamp and a wall sconce. As a sconce, the fixture comes with a large brass b...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Brass, Copper, Metal

Swing-Arm Wall Sconce
Located in Oakville, CT
Steel Swing-Arm Wall Sconce with Milk Glass Shade Overall Length: 47″ Bracket Height: 29″ Height from top of arm to bottom of bulb: 12 1/4″ Arm Length:...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Steel, Metal

Swing-Arm Wall Sconce
Swing-Arm Wall Sconce
H 29 in Dm 9 in
"Area" floor lamp designed by Mario Bellini for Artemide, Italy, 1970s
By Mario Bellini, Artemide
Located in Brussels , BE
The dimensions are the ones of the base.
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal

Mid 20th Century Ceramic Table Lamp
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Illuminate your space with the warm glow of our vintage mid-century ceramic lamp. Crafted in an appealing small size, this piece radiates an earthy charm, enhanced by its inviting br...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Ceramic

Castiglioni Metal "Light Ball" Italian Sconce for Arteluce and Flos, 1960s
By Flos, Arteluce, Achille Castiglioni
Located in Roma, IT
Incredibly rare first edition of the famous "Light Ball" applique by Castiglioni in white metal and opal glass. This fantastic lamp was designed by Castiglioni for Arteluce and produced in Italy by Flos in the 1960s. This fantastic lamp was designed by Castiglioni for Arteluce and produced in Italy by Flos in the 1960s. This fantastic light is unique because of the materials, made of white enameled metal and opal glass. It can be mounted on the wall or on the ceiling. The wall light has been tested, it uses an E27 light bulb. It is signed on the backplate by both Arteluce and Flos. A fantastic piece that will grace a mid-century living room or bathroom. Measures (cms): diameter - 42 height - 32 Literature: Casa Amica, 27 June 1972, p. 105 Octagon 30 September 1973, p. 149 Sergio Polano, Achille Castiglioni all the works, Electa, Milano, 2001, p. 224 Giuliana Gramigna, repertoire 1950-2000, Allemandi, Torino, 2003, p. 121. The beginnings of Flos (meaning “flower” in Latin) blossomed from a brilliant idea: to create objects, starting with a light bulb, that would change the way of life for both the Italian market and the foreign markets. Dino Gavina and the small Eisenkeil manufacturing facility in Merano, had already been creating furniture alongside design masters such as Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Afra and Tobia Scarpa. But by the early 1960s, Gavina became convinced the time had come to create new lamps. Using the same technology – conceived in the USA and tested at Eisenkeil – used for the Cocoon lampthe Castiglioni brothers and the Scarpa duo began creating lamps such as the Taraxacum or the Fantasma, with many other beautiful and surprising lamps to follow. And so, from day one, Flos was already reinventing the idea of artificial lighting. Achille Castiglioni (born February 16, 1918, Milan–died December 2, 2002, Milan) was a prolific furniture, lighting, and product Italian designer renown for his ironic, joyful, creative and functional designs that, at times, intersected with ideas explored by conceptual artists. Achille Castiglioni was born into a family with deep appreciation for the arts, as he was the third son of sculptor and coin engraver Giannino Castiglioni and his wife Livia Bolla. He first studied the classics at the Liceo Classico Giuseppe Parini, but then switched to study art at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera in Milan. In 1937, he decided to follow the steps of his two elder brothers, architects Livio and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, by enrolling in the Faculty of Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano, graduating in 1944–after having to interrupt his studies when he was stationed in Greece and Sicily during World War II. In 1944, immediately after graduating, Achille Castiglioni joined his brothers Livio and Pier Giacomo in the design studio that they had founded with Livio’s classmate Luigi Caccia Dominioni in 1937 in Milan. Fortunately for Achille, from the very beginning Livio and Pier Giacomo decided to focus almost entirely on designing exhibitions, furniture, housewares, and appliances since architectural commissions were difficult to come by during the war. This product-design focus, and the deep fraternal bound among the three brothers, would later allow the young Achille to experiment early in his career with emerging techniques and new materials that could communicate a fresh aesthetic sensibility suited for the positive outlook of the post-war European market. The Castiglioni brothers’ important collaboration with Phonola and Brionvega In 1940, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Livio Castiglioni, and Luigi Caccia Dominioni, in collaboration withe the Phonola company, presented in the VII Triennale di Milano (Milan Triennial), titled Exhibition of the Radio, a research study of radio devices that included the Fimi Phonola 547 radio, the first radio encased in Bakelite instead of wood. Shortly after the exhibition, Luigi Caccia Dominioni suspended his professional activity to serve in the military during World War II and left the studio. The development of the FImi Phonola 547 radio would prove fruitful for the three brothers, as it allowed Livio Castiglioni to cement his role as the leading design consultant for Phonola from 1940 until 1960, and for Brionvega, from 1960 until 1964. These relationships brought in further collaboration among the three brothers, and would eventually result in several designs for radio and sound appliances with innovative materials and shapes for which Achille Castiglioni played a key role, such as the RR 226 stereo system for Brinovega (1965), the radio phonograph RR 126 for Brinovega (1965), and the radio and record player RR 128 for Brionvega (1966) In 1952, Livio decided to build his own practice, independent from Achille and Pier Giacomo, to pursue a deeper exploration of radio waves, music, and technology. But the three brothers would continued to collaborate closely in several projects, and the partnership between Achille and Pier Giacomo became so tight that from 1952 until 1968, when Pier Giacomo died, they co-authored most of their designs. Achille Castiglioni Long Career as Light Designer During this period, the Castiglioni brothers participated in the Italian Exhibition of Furniture (RIMA), where they successfully introduced a series of curved-plywood furniture, and presented important designs, such as the Tubino lamp (1949), originally produced by Italian light maker Arteluce from 1949 until 1974, and reintroduced by FLOS since the late 1970s; and the Luminator lamp (1955), originally produced by Gilardi & Barzaghi, but reintroduced by FLOS in the late 1960s. A new, successful, and long-lasting collaboration developed in 1960, when Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni were reached by entrepreneurial Italian designer Dino Gavina and business man Arturo Eisenkeil with the idea to create a completely new kind of lighting fixtures utilizing a polyamide. The material, which they called “cocoon,” in the hands of the Castiglioni brothers would become a popular and iconic innovation in the 1960s and serve as the successful foundation of Italian lighting company FLOS–founded by Gavina and Eisenkeil in 1962. Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni designed a series of “cocoon” lights utilizing the spray-on polyamide plastic as a coating layer onto a metal frame. Among the most popular Castiglioni “cocoon” lights are: the Taraxacum and the Viscontea ceiling lamps (1960), and the Gatto table lamp (1961). Other of the important lamp designs by Pier Giacomo and Achille Castiglioni for FLOS are the Beehive -or Splügen Braü lamp (1961), Toio –or Toy lamp...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal

Pair of Italian Sconces Model 237/2 by Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce 50s Wall Lamp
By Gino Sarfatti, Arteluce
Located in Lyon, FR
Pair of wall lamps model 237/2 of the famous Italian designer Gino Sarfatti published by Arteluce in the 1950s. Black lacquered metal structure (original paint) and double diffusers ...
Category

1950s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal

Lamperti Italian 1970s Chandelier
By Lamperti
Located in Rovereta, SM
An original Space Age 1970s Italian pendant chandelier composed of brushed and polished steel frame an large white opaline glass globes.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Steel

Lamperti Italian 1970s Chandelier
Lamperti Italian 1970s Chandelier
H 41.34 in Dm 29.53 in
Table Lamp from the, 70s
Located in Catania, IT
Beautiful brass lamp from the 70s can be inserted into any real estate and small context that manages to give a lot of light.
Category

1970s Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Brass

Table Lamp from the, 70s
Table Lamp from the, 70s
H 3.14 in W 4.72 in D 6.69 in
Swing-Arm Wall Sconce
By Get Back, Inc.
Located in Oakville, CT
Steel Swing-Arm Wall Sconce with Milk Glass Shade Overall Length: 47″ Bracket Height: 29″ Height from top of arm to bottom of bulb: 12 1/4″ Arm Length: 42 3/4″ Materials: Steel ...
Category

2010s American Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Brass, Steel

Swing-Arm Wall Sconce
Swing-Arm Wall Sconce
H 29 in W 7 in D 47 in
1970s Adjustable Floor Lamp Designed by Guzzini for Meblo, Italy
By Meblo, Harvey Guzzini
Located in Praha, CZ
Mid-century floor lamp designed by Harvey Guzzini for Meblo, labled. Very good condition, rewired. 2 x E25-E27 bulbs. US plug adapter included.
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Chrome

Brass swing arm Wall lamp Germany 1970s
By Holtkoetter
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice and rare Brass swing arm wall lamp . good quality one large E27 bulb needed . superb patine .
Category

1970s German Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Brass

Brass swing arm Wall lamp  Germany 1970s
Brass swing arm Wall lamp  Germany 1970s
H 4.73 in W 22.84 in D 3.94 in
Rare and Important Illuminated Sculpture by Theodor Neumaier for Lamperti
By Lamperti
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Rare and important illuminated sculpture by Theodor Neumaier for Lamperti. Designed and manufactured in Italy, circa 1970s. Not rewired for the US, comes with a transformer. Rare lum...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Acrylic

Previously Available Items
20th Century Ico Parisi Table Lamp Mod. Palpebra for Lamperti, 70s
By Ico Parisi, Lamperti
Located in Turin, Turin
Ico Parisi was born in Palermo, Italy, in 1916, but as early as 1925 with his family he moved to Como, where in 1936 he graduated as a building surveyor and served an apprenticeship ...
Category

1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Chrome

Mid-Century Mod. "Iride" by Ico Parisi Reimbow Floor Lamp, 70s, Italy
By Lamperti, Ico Parisi
Located in Palermo, IT
Rare "Iride" floor lamp, cylindrical red lacquered metal base, tubular structure with aluminum discs lacquered in the colors of the rainbow. Rear element in chromed metal, central ne...
Category

1970s Italian Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Aluminum, Metal

Pair of Stilnovo Wall Sconces
By Ico Parisi
Located in London, GB
Set of 2 Stilnovo wall sconces in tubular brass with 2 bulbs each. We have an additional set of 4 with three tubes/bulbs each which can be added to the set. This is an ideal collecti...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Brass

Pair of Stilnovo Wall Sconces
Pair of Stilnovo Wall Sconces
H 14.57 in W 5.12 in D 1.97 in
Glass Green Chandelier Italian Design Round Arteluce Ico Parisi 1964 Cromed
By Ico Parisi
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Glass green chandelier Italian design round Arteluce Ico Parisi 1960 Cromed, model n2041/b, 1964. 20 light bulbs E14 max 80 Watt each.  
Category

1960s Italian Minimalist Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Crystal

Ico Parisi Mod. No. 256 Wall Lights for Arteluce, Italy, 1964
By Ico Parisi, Arteluce
Located in Milan, IT
Pair of Ico Parisi mod. no. 256 wall lights for Arteluce, Italy, 1964.
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal

Ico Parisi Table Lamp, circa 1960s
By Ico Parisi
Located in Brussels, BE
Ico Paris such lamps existed in various size as the wood polygonal shapes can be piled up to achieve the size. This one is all original with original wood button (see picture). The s...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Wood

Ico Parisi Table Lamp, circa 1960s
Ico Parisi Table Lamp, circa 1960s
H 41.74 in W 7.09 in D 7.09 in
Iride Floor Lamp by Ico Parisi
By Ico Parisi
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Iride floor lamp by Ico Parisi, Italy 1970, in color enameled steel and aluminum, manufactured by Lamperti.
Category

Late 20th Century Italian Modern Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Steel, Aluminum

Two Model 244 Sconces by Ico Parisi for Arteluce
By Arteluce, Ico Parisi
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Two rare and important model 244 sconces by Ico Parisi for Arteluce. Designed and manufactured in Italy circa 1960. Brass and glass. Wired for US junction boxes. This ingenious desig...
Category

1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Brass

Ico Parisi Arteluce Sconces Mod. 259, Italy 1959
By Ico Parisi
Located in Roosendaal, Noord Brabant
Rare pair of sconces designed by Italian top designer Ico Parisi for Arteluce, Italy 1959. This is for model number 259 and was documented in the Arteluce catalogue from 1959. The la...
Category

1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Metal

Ico Parisi Arteluce Sconces Mod. 259, Italy 1959
Ico Parisi Arteluce Sconces Mod. 259, Italy 1959
H 21.66 in W 11.82 in D 13.78 in
Iride Floor Lamp by Ico & Luisa Parisi
By Ico Parisi, Luisa Parisi
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Iride floor lamp in enameled steel and aluminum, manufactured by Lamperti, Italy 1970
Category

20th Century Italian Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Steel, Aluminum

Iride Floor Lamp by Ico & Luisa Parisi
By Ico Parisi, Luisa Parisi
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Iride floor lamp in enameled steel and aluminum, manufactured by Lamperti, Italy 1970
Category

20th Century Italian Ico Parisi Lighting

Materials

Aluminum, Steel

Pair of Sconces ‘Model #256’ by Ico Parisi for Arteluce
By Ico Parisi, Arteluce
Located in New York, NY
Sconces have the original Arteluce sticker. Documented in Arteluce catalog.
Category

20th Century Italian Ico Parisi Lighting

Ico Parisi lighting for sale on 1stDibs.

Ico Parisi lighting are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of metal and are designed with extraordinary care. Many of the original lighting by Ico Parisi were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider lighting by Pirro Cuniberti, Lumen Center, and Antonio Piva. Prices for Ico Parisi lighting can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $5,505 and can go as high as $16,643, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $5,957.

Recently Viewed

View All