Gaetano Sciolari, Wall Light, Metal, Brass, Rattan, Italy, 1954
About the Item
- Creator:Stilnovo (Manufacturer),Gaetano Sciolari (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 8 in (20.32 cm)Width: 1.75 in (4.45 cm)Depth: 35 in (88.9 cm)
- Power Source:Plug-in
- Lampshade:Included
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1954
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:High Point, NC
- Reference Number:
Gaetano Sciolari
The work of celebrated mid-century Italian lighting designer and entrepreneur Angelo Gaetano Sciolari became widely popular in the United States during the postwar years and strongly influenced lighting makers around the world. The sculptural forms and striking geometric details of his vintage floor lamps, chandeliers and other fixtures fit seamlessly into the mid-century modern and Hollywood Regency interiors of the day.
Sciolari formally studied architecture but also pursued filmmaking for a short period. When his father passed away in 1949, Sciolari took the reins at his family's company, Sciolari Lighting, which had been in business in Rome since 1892. The manufacturer expanded considerably under Gaetano’s leadership. For one, pioneering American lighting company Lightolier, in New York City, began to import the Italian brand’s lighting for the U.S. market, and Lightolier’s star designer, Gerald Thurston, was significantly influenced by Gaetano’s work. In the 1970s, Americans looking to add provocative fixtures created by Gaetano Sciolari to their living rooms could find them in Lightolier catalogs.
Sciolari initially crafted lamps and sconces that bore the hallmarks of traditional Italian design. But during the 1950s, when he would become the in-house designer for legendary Milan lighting manufacturer Stilnovo — one of the leaders of Italian postwar design — he created revolutionary fixtures that endured as his best-known work.
Sciolari drew on a range of influences — enthusiasts see the imprint of Art Deco, brutalism and more in his lighting — and designed futuristic Space Age chandeliers, ceiling lamps and pendants for Stilnovo as well as Stilkronen and S.A. Boulanger that defied the conventions of the time. A dizzying array of materials and finishes characterizes the designer’s work, while geometry is pronounced in each sculptural fixture — there are blown opal glass spheres, polished chrome tubes and brass square bulb holders. These combinations were critical to the development of dazzling lighting that proves eye-catching in any space decades later.
On 1stDibs, find vintage Angelo Gaetano Sciolari lighting today.
Stilnovo
Though Bruno Gatta (1904–76) founded Stilnovo way back in 1946, it is still one of the most instantly recognizable names in lighting. Gatta began his business in Milan, and, like many European creatives designing furniture and decor in the wake of World War II, Stilnovo leaned toward the new wave of mass-market and streamlined styles. In fact, Stilnovo loosely translates to “new style” in Italian, and vintage Stilnovo lighting has 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 in the 1950s was forming a completely revolutionized look, and Bruno Gatta and Stilnovo’s head designer, Angelo Gaetano Sciolari, helped shape it. 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, floor lamps and other fixtures and furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: High Point, NC
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Italian Designer, Wall Light, Brass, Metal, Rattan, Italy 1940sLocated in High Point, NCA pair of beige-lacquered metal, brass and rattan wall lights, designed and produced in Italy, c. 1940s. Overall Dimensions: 11.25" H x 11.5" W x 5" D Bulb Specifications: E-14 Bulb...Category
Vintage 1940s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Stilnovo, Wall Light, Metal, Brass, Italy, 1950sBy StilnovoLocated in High Point, NCA brass and metal wall light designed and produced by Stilnovo, Italy, 1950s. Variable dimensions, measured as illustrated in the first image. Dimensions of back plate (inche...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Stilnovo, Wall Light, Oak, Brass, Metal, Italy, 1950sBy StilnovoLocated in High Point, NCAn adjustable brass, oak and metal wall light designed and produced by Stilnovo, Italy, 1950s. Configured for plug in. Cord feeds through bottom with brass counterweight. Overall D...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass, Metal
- Stilnovo, Wall Light, Brass, Metal, Acrylic, Italy, 1950sBy StilnovoLocated in High Point, NCA brass, metal and acrylic wall light designed and produced by Stilnovo, Italy, 1950s. With makers label. Dimensions of back plate (inches) : (3.93 x 1.62 x .68).Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Stilnovo, Wall Light, Black Lacquered Metal, Brass, Italy, 1950sBy StilnovoLocated in High Point, NCA brass and black lacquered metal wall light designed and produced by Stilnovo, Italy, 1950s. Dimensions of back plate (inches) : 10.62 x 4.18 x 0.75 (H x W x D).Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Stilnovo 'Attribution' Adjustable Wall Light, Metal, Brass, Italy, 1950sBy StilnovoLocated in High Point, NCA green and off-white brass and metal wall light, design and production attributed to Stilnovo, Italy, 1950s.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Gaetano Sciolari model 2061 Stilnovo wall lamps Italy 1954By Gaetano Sciolari, StilnovoLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantExceptional Model 2061 wall lamps designed by Gaetano Sciolari and produced by Stilnovo in Italy in 1954. These are the rare first productions made from brass, featuring a different ...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal, Brass, Aluminum
- Gaetano Sciolari Wall Light, Italy 1970sBy Gaetano SciolariLocated in L'Escala, ESRare and beautiful wall light by Gaetano Sciolari, manufactured in Italy in 1970s. In perfect vintage condition.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsChrome
- Gaetano Sciolari Multi Tubular Brass Wall LightBy Lightolier, Gaetano SciolariLocated in Hanover, MAGaetano Sciolari designed the Tubular Collection for Lightolier in the 1960s. Here we present model 4686 multi-tubular brass wall sconce designed by Gaetano Sciolari and produced by ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsAluminum, Brass
- Vintage Italian Chrome Sputnik Wall Light by Gaetano SciolariBy Gaetano SciolariLocated in Byron Bay, NSWItalian Sputnik chrome wall lamp by Gaetano Sciolari.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsChrome
- Cubist Polished Brass Gaetano Sciolari Wall SconceBy Gaetano SciolariLocated in Saint-Ouen, IDFCubist wall sconce by Gaetano Sciolari made of square tubes geometrically assembled from which come out six sources of light. Can also be attached to the ceiling as a flush mount. O...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass
- Midcentury Pair of Gaetano Sciolari Brass Italian Wall Sconces, 1960sBy Gaetano SciolariLocated in Roma, ITBeautiful and rare Gaetano Sciolari brass Italian wall sconces. This unique piece was produced in Italy during 1960s. An amazing set that is unique because of the modern lines mix...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsBrass