Gecko Table Lamp by Gianfranco Frattini for Leuka, 1970s

About the Item

Gecko table lamp by Italian designer Gianfranco Frattini for Leuka in 1971. Giuliana Gramigna described on Page 208 (1972) of 'Repertorio del Design Italiano 1950-2000' (translated from Italian): "Table lamp with adjustable angle reflector, connected with the base by a magnet." This surprising structure ensures that the lamp can be directed in all directions. The lamp is in good vintage condition. The electrical wiring is from the 70s and is still attached to the base of the lamp using the original rubber connection piece. Some loss of chrome on the top of the lamp can be noticed, the inside of the reflector is discolored. Gianfranco Frattini is also known because of the luminous snakelike fixture named Boalum which he designed together with Livio Castiglioni for Artemide and the impressive table lamp with fringes Model 597 which he designed for Arteluce. Very rare piece.

Creator:

Leuka (Manufacturer),Gianfranco Frattini (Designer)

Dimensions:

Height: 10.24 in (26 cm)Width: 1.97 in (5 cm)Depth: 8.67 in (22 cm)

Style:

Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)

Materials and Techniques:

Chrome,Magnets

Place of Origin:

Italy

Period:

1970-1979

Date of Manufacture:

1970s

Condition:

Wear consistent with age and use. Good vintage condition. Some loss of chrome on the top of the lamp. The plug is replaced by a new one.

Seller Location:

Rotterdam, NL

Reference Number:

1stDibs: LU2839314017292

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Shop All Gianfranco Frattini

Gianfranco Frattini

Gianfranco Frattini is widely regarded as a mid-century master of Italian modern design. He was an award-winning architect and designer, and specialized in creating furniture and decor that is both decorative and practical — Frattini’s vintage desks, armchairs, nesting tables and other works are celebrated for their sophisticated merging of function and form.

Born in Padua in 1926, Frattini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He later apprenticed with his teacher and mentor, Gio Ponti. Through Ponti — arguably the most important figure in 20th-century Italian architecture and design — Frattini met many notable modernist designers such as Oscar Niemeyer and Le Corbusier, but an introduction to famed Italian entrepreneur Cesare Cassina would prove incredibly significant in helping launch his career.

During the mid-1950s, Frattini began to collaborate with Cassina’s eponymous company. He designed the brand’s acclaimed leather and walnut Model 849 lounge chair — a winner of the Compasso d’Oro award — the Marema nesting tables and the iconic Sesann collection. The latter, an enduring 1970s suite of impossibly welcoming leather-covered seating, is now produced by Tacchini. In addition to Cassina, Frattini created furniture and lighting for other manufacturers such as Bernini, Arteluce, Artemide, Knoll and more.

While many of his designs incorporate glass, tubular steel and other materials, Frattini loved working with wood. The sculptural Albero bookcase — an innovative floor-to-ceiling structure made in walnut that swings on a 360-degree vertical swivel axis — is a striking example of Frattini’s dedication to traditional woodworking techniques. In the early 1970s, he traveled to Japan with friend and collaborator Pierluigi Ghianda — a master Milanese cabinet maker — in order to study the work of artisans in Kyoto. The trip inspired his design of the Kyoto table, a work of solid beech with Canaletto walnut inserts that is part of the permanent collection of the Milan Triennale’s Design Museum. The Kyoto and Albero have been revived by Poltrona Frau.

Frattini’s designs are in the permanent collections of prestigious museums such as the Museum of Modern Art and the Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum.

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