Monumental Italian Mid-Century Sputnik Chandelier by Stilnovo

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About the Item

Italian Mid-Century chandelier by Stilnovo. 12 lights with E14 socket. Very good original vintage conditions. Brass, lacquered metal and opaline glass. Diameter 100 cm, total height with rod 103 cm. Glasses in perfect conditions, brass with some small oxidation and lacquered metal with some loss of lacquer. History of Stilnovo Founded in 1946 by Bruno Gatta, Stilnovo is a significant part of the first wave of post World War 2 Italian design companies specialising in the production of innovative, functional lighting. At its most productive between 1950 and the late 80s, Stilnovo worked with a number of Italy’s leading designers, including Danilo and Corrado Aroldi, Gaetano Sciolari, Alberto Fraser, Joe Colombo and Ettore Sottsass. A contemporary of companies such as Fontana Arte and Arteluce, Stilnovo rose to prominence on the back of Italian design’s move away from small family orientated businesses to forming companies capable of producing industrialised, mass produced work. Coming at a time when the idea of function was combined with new types of materials to produce pared and texturally novel forms, it was an era of experimentation, where the neo-realism movement tussled with the philosophy of organicism, and where architects borrowed from, subverted and discarded the artisan based Craft-art that had for centuries been Italy’s dominant creative force. Often compared favourably with Arteluce, which, under the guidance of Gino Sarfatti, explored abstract, lineal forms, Stilnovo is known for its well executed organic lines. The Aroldi designed 1967 Periscope desk lamp is a case in point. Exhibited at New York’s New Domestic Landscape 1968, its snake-like lines are tempered by its enamel finish, creating an effect that is both restrained and alive. However, it would be wrong to generalise with regards to a specific Stilnovo style. The organic lyricism of the Aroldis can be easily contrasted with the highly balanced look of Gaetano Scolari’s molecular Stilnovo Chandelier. Constructed from opaline glass, perspex and brass, Scolari’s chandelier was produced in 1955, and is a good example of the time’s penchant for severe and geometrically balanced forms. Whatever the designer, whatever the era, Stilnovo’s reputation rests on its willingness to engage in new materials, and in the highly technological finish of its products. Joe Colombo’s 1970 Topo lamps (floor and desk) are Fine examples, employing enamelled metal, plastic and a ball and socket joint, while Cini Boeri’s 1973 helmet-shaped Lucetta lamp includes uses Durethan, a mixed polymide plastic. Both Alberto Fraser and Ettore Sottsass continue the tradition into the 80s, with Fraser’s multi-coloured plastic 1985 Nastro lamp further evidence of the company’s ability to explore new ideas. Many of Stilnovo’s pieces are rare. Early pieces occasionally retain original Stilnovo Milano stickers. All carry the Stilnovo name.

Creator:
Stilnovo (Designer)
Dimensions:
Height: 40.56 in (103 cm)Width: 39.38 in (100 cm)Depth: 39.38 in (100 cm)
Style:
Modern (Of the Period)
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
1950-1959
Date of Manufacture:
1950s
Condition:
Seller Location:
Geneve, CH
Reference Number:
1stDibs: LU121927471293

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Stilnovo

Though Bruno Gatta founded Stilnovo way back in 1946, it is still one of the most instantly recognizable names in lighting. Gatta (1904–76) began his business in Milan, and, like many European creatives designing furniture and decor in the wake of World War II, he leaned toward the new wave of mass-market and streamlined styles. In fact, Stilnovo loosely translates to “new style” in Italian, and vintage Stilnovo chandeliers, floor lamps and other lighting have endured as a practical choice for those looking to bring innovative and forward-thinking design into their homes.

Soon after Stilnovo was established, Gatta’s lighting fixtures were applauded throughout Europe for their novel industrial materials as well as their unique yet functional shapes. Italy during the mid-20th century was completely revolutionary, and Bruno Gatta and Stilnovo’s head designer, Angelo Gaetano Sciolari, helped shape the era.

When the 1960s arrived, Stilnovo was experiencing such a boom that the company opened a new production plant in Lainate. One of the brand’s most famous pieces, Giovanni Luigi Gorgoni’s quirky 1965 Buonanotte spherical table lamp, became a best seller.

Gatta partnered with some of the most well-known names in design, including Ettore Sottsass, Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Joe Colombo and Gae Aulenti. Sottsass’s pieces for Stilnovo, including the 1977 Valigia four-legged table lamp, the 1968 Lampros chandelier and Manifesto ceiling light, and the Castiglionis’ 1957 Saliscendi pendant light fixtures are some of the brand’s most recognizable to date. In 1978, De Pas, D’Urbino and Lomazzi designed the Fante lamp with an adjustable reflector that playfully recalls a broad-brimmed hat.

Stilnovo’s designs, including Danilo and Corrado Aroldi’s flexible Periscope table lamp, were featured in the 1972 exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at the Museum of Modern Art. While Stilnovo continued to operate with new designer collaborations after Gatta’s death, it closed its doors in 1988.

Italian art director Massimo Anselmi acquired the company in 2012 and rereleased several of Stilnovo’s most celebrated pieces. Then in 2019, lighting giant Linea Light Group purchased Stilnovo and relaunched its classic designs with contemporary touches like LED lighting systems.

Find vintage Stilnovo chandeliers and pendants, wall lights, table lamps and other fixtures and furniture on 1stDibs.