Achille Castiglioni 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Light
View Similar Items
Achille Castiglioni 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sculptural Light
About the Item
- Creator:
- Dimensions:Height: 4 in (10.16 cm)Diameter: 22 in (55.88 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU78678269353
Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni
Milanese industrial designer-architects Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni (1918–2002; 1913-68) created some of the most iconic furniture designs in the world, particularly those that originated in the realm of mid-century modern lighting.
In the late 1930s, after graduating from the acclaimed Polytechnic University of Milan, Pier Giacomo opened a design studio with his brother Livio and likeminded architect Luigi Caccia Dominioni. Achille, also a graduate of Milan Polytechnic, joined the group after completing his studies in 1944. The era’s architects were encountering difficulty in their attempts to secure building commissions, so the group focused on designing practical everyday objects such as the Model 547, a tabletop radio for Phonola that was encased in Bakelite.
The Castiglioni brothers produced wildly popular and innovative designs throughout the 20th century. While Livio departed the practice in 1952 to pursue lighting design and sound technology on his own, Pier Giacomo and Achille would continue to collaborate on a wealth of projects in the ensuing years.
Vintage furniture collectors may be familiar with Livio and Italian designer Gianfranco Frattini’s serpent-like Boalum lamp, while Achille’s Taraxacum hanging lamp — created for FLOS with sprayed plastic polymers originally intended for military use — as well as the Arco, Snoopy and Toio lamps, which were the result of the collaboration between Pier Giacomo and Achille, are milestones in modernist lighting design.
Also for FLOS, Pier Giacomo and Achille created a series of metal frames that, wrapped in the polymer, became floor lamps (Gatto) or pendant lights (Viscontea and Taraxacum), all released in 1960. The Gatto floor lamp takes its name from the Italian word for “cat” and the inspiration for its aesthetic from lighting that George Nelson developed for legendary American furniture manufacturer Howard Miller during the 1940s. Around the same time, the designer Tobia Scarpa (son of the famed Italian architect Carlo Scarpa and one-half of the widely revered postmodern husband-and-wife design duo Afra and Tobia Scarpa) created a floor lamp called Fantasma (1961) using the polymers technique. FLOS continues to make the Castiglionis’ innovative pieces today.
In addition to their provocative lighting works, Pier Giacomo and Achille also created stereo systems, decorative objects, seating, tables and other items for the likes of Brionvega, Alessi, Zanotta, Kartell and more.
Find vintage Achille and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni floor lamps, table lamps, pendants, seating and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Achille Castiglioni
Milanese designer and architect Achille Castiglioni sought to inject personality into all of his work, and found deep inspiration in everyday objects. A legend of Italian mid-century modernism, he created iconic, universally loved table lamps, chairs and other lighting and furniture with his likeminded brothers during the postwar years.
There was the Snoopy lamp, which brings to mind the unmistakable Peanuts character, while the shape of a common street lamp inspired the design behind the Arco floor lamp. Elsewhere, the Toio floor lamp — a provocative fixture in any living room — was made with automotive parts as well as run-of-the-mill recreational gear.
Castiglioni studied the classics at Liceo Classico Giuseppe Parini, art at the Accademia di Belle Arti di Brera and finally architecture and design at the Polytechnic University of Milan. After graduating in 1944, Castiglioni began working with his brothers Pier Giacomo and Livio at the studio they cofounded with classmate Luigi Caccia Dominioni.
Livio left to pursue lighting design and sound technology, leaving Achille and Pier Giacomo to continue to collaborate on various projects. One such design was the iconic Taraxacum hanging lamp for FLOS which featured a resin “cocoon” created with sprayed plastic polymers that protects its steel core and allows for the diffusion of light.
Castiglioni won Italy’s highest award for industrial design — the Compasso d’Oro — seven times, and the Museum of Modern Art was home to his first individual retrospective in the United States. Castiglioni later taught at the Polytechnic University of Turin and at Polytechnic in Milan.
Castiglioni’s designs remain timeless. Some of them can be found in Tokyo’s Living Design Center Ozone, the Triennale di Milano and the Hangaram Art Museum at the Seoul Arts Center.
Find vintage Achille Castiglioni lighting, seating, tables and other furniture on 1stDibs.
- Limburg Sculptural Glass 1960s Flush LightBy Glashütte LimburgLocated in New York, NYA large bubbled glass flush light by Limburg Glass works. Newly rewired. Three-light sources. Matching 12” version available.Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsBlown Glass
- Nautical Italian Mid-Century 1960s Flush Ceiling LampLocated in New York, NYA 1960s nautical style golden brass ceiling fixture with a hallophane glass shade. Newly rewired.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsBrass
- Austrian 1960s Stejnar Crystal Flush LightBy Emil StejnarLocated in New York, NYA golden brass and clear and light amethyst color crystal flush ceiling or wall light by the Austrian lighting company, Stejnar. Newly Rewired. Two-light sources.Category
Vintage 1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsCrystal, Brass
- 1960s Space Age Modernist Flush LightBy Doria Leuchten GermanyLocated in New York, NYA great 1960s German copper mirrored glass and hold shade flush light. Rewired.Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsBrass
- Austrian Earnst Palme Glass 1960s Floral Flush LightBy Ernest PalmeLocated in New York, NYA beautiful 1960s Austrian glass floral and golden brass light fixture which can be used as a ceiling or wall light. Newly rewired. Four-light sources. Two other sizes available.Category
Vintage 1960s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsBrass
- Pair of Reggiani 1960s Italian Flush LightsBy ReggianiLocated in New York, NYAn original pair of 1960s Italian flush or wall lights by the lighting maker, Reggiani,. The lights are composed of a teak wood frame and a white triangular glass shade. Rewired.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsGlass, Teak
$2,800 Sale Price / set51% Off
- Large 1960s Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling LampBy Achille Castiglioni, Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, FlosLocated in Glendale, CALarge 1960s Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling Lamp. Designed in 1965, this rare variant is executed in attractively patinated brass and opaline glass. A...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsBrass
- Italian Achille Castiglioni 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling Lamp for Flos, 1960sBy Achille Castiglioni, FlosLocated in Morazzone, VareseGorgeous large flush mount light, wall lamp or ceiling lamp called "Light Ball" designed in Italy from Achille Castiglioni for Flos. Designed in 1965, this vintage brass variant comes with satin opaque glass which is screwed into the lamp. Please check out all pictures. This iconic mid-century design is quintessentially Italian. Nice patina and gorgeous dark vintage on the brass, loved from all real vintage lovers...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsBrass
- Large 1960s Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling LampBy Achille Castiglioni, FlosLocated in Glendale, CALarge 1960s Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling Lamp for Flos. Designed in 1965, this rare and vintage brass variant comes with satin opaque glass. An incredibly refined and iconic midcentury design that is quintessentially Italian. Retains original manufacturer's sticker. Literature ref.: "1000 Lights: 1960 to Present," eds. Charlotte & Peter Fiell, Tachen, 2005 p.91 Price is per item. 2 lamps available. Not UL listed, but recommended UL listing possible from authorized 3rd party vendor upon request for an additional fee. Wiring tested and updated for compatibility with US electrical. Accommodates 1x e26 medium base 75w equivalent LED bulb (lower with incandescent). Glass in excellent condition, but possibly a replacement globe...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsBrass
On Hold$2,200 / item - Large 1960s Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling LampBy Flos, Achille CastiglioniLocated in Glendale, CALarge 1960s Achille Castiglioni & Pier Giacomo 'Light Ball' Wall or Ceiling Lamp for Flos. Designed in 1965, this rare and vintage brass variant comes...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsBrass
- Achille Castiglioni Glass Flush Mounts Velella Lamps, Italy, 1960By Achille Castiglioni, FlosLocated in Vienna, ATTwo Velella opal flush mounts by Flos, Italy 1960 -sold individually Set of 2 Achille Castiglioni flush mounts lamps, Italy, 1960. Sold individually. Wonderful lights by Flos made f...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsChrome
- Castiglioni Midcentury Metal "Light Ball" Italian Sconce for Flos, 1960sBy Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, FlosLocated in Roma, ITIncredible mid-century "Light Ball large size" applique in smatised ivory metal and opal glass for Flos. This fantastic lamp was designed by Achille Castiglioni and produced in Italy for Flos in the 1960s. This fantastic light is unique because of the materials, made of ivory white enameled metal and opal glass. Requires an E27 bulb. A fantastic piece that will grace a mid-century living room or bathroom. Measures (cms): diameter - 42 height - 31 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...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Flush Mount
MaterialsMetal
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
We Dare You Not to Smile at These Whimsical Italian Designs
Make anyplace your happy place with Italian furniture at its subversive best.
Rooms We Love: 11 Splendid Living Rooms
Common wisdom used to declare the kitchen the hub of the house. These days, the living room seems to have assumed the role of domestic focal point. Unlike the Victorian parlor, stiffly furnished and reserved for guests, today’s living room is a central place for reading, conversation and, well, living, with furnishings that lend themselves to both casual lounging and elegant entertaining.