Sinus Lamp Designed in 1972 by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo, Made in Italy
View Similar Items
Sinus Lamp Designed in 1972 by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo, Made in Italy
About the Item
- Creator:Stilnovo (Manufacturer),Ettore Sottsass (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 13.25 in (33.66 cm)Width: 3.5 in (8.89 cm)Depth: 3.25 in (8.26 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Plastic,Molded
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1972
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Jersey City, NJ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU80734261493
Ettore Sottsass
An architect, industrial designer, philosopher and provocateur, Ettore Sottsass led a revolution in the aesthetics and technology of modern design in the late 20th century.
Sottsass was the oldest member of the Memphis Group — a design collective, formed in Milan in 1980, whose irreverent, spirited members included Alessandro Mendini, Michele de Lucchi, Michael Graves and Shiro Kuramata. All had grown disillusioned by the staid, black-and-brown “corporatized” modernism that had become endemic in the 1970s. Memphis (the name stemmed from the title of a Bob Dylan song) countered with bold, brash, colorful, yet quirkily minimal designs for furniture, glassware, ceramics and metalwork. They mocked high-status by building furniture with inexpensive materials such as plastic laminates, decorated to resemble exotic finishes such as animal skins. Their work was both functional and — as intended — shocking. Even as it preceded the Memphis Group's formal launch, Sottsass's iconic Ultrafragola mirror — in its conspicuously curved plastic shell and radical pops of pink neon — embodies many of the collective's postmodern ideals.
Sottsass's most-recognized designs appeared in the first Memphis collection, issued in 1981 — notably the multihued, angular Carlton room divider and Casablanca bookcase. As pieces on 1stDibs demonstrate, however, Sottsass is at his most imaginative and expressive in smaller, secondary furnishings such as lamps and chandeliers, and in table pieces and glassware that have playful and sculptural qualities.
It was as an artist that Ettore Sottsass was celebrated in his life, in exhibitions at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art, in 2006, and the Philadelphia Museum of Art a year later. Even then Sottsass’s work prompted critical debate. And for a man whose greatest pleasure was in astonishing, delighting and ruffling feathers, perhaps there was no greater accolade. That the work remains so revolutionary and bold — that it breaks with convention so sharply it will never be considered mainstream — is a testament to his genius.
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.
- Mirror Designed and Signed by Ettore Sottsass, 2007 Made in ItalyBy Ettore SottsassLocated in Jersey City, NJDioniso four mirror of early production designed by Ettore Sottsass for Glas Italia in 2007 comprises orange, white, and black colored glass in geometric shapes that surround the cen...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsMirror
- Table Lamp Designed by Gaetano Sciolari, Signed "Cubic" Made in Italy circa 1970By Gaetano SciolariLocated in Jersey City, NJTable or Desk Lamp in polished steel with three standing square lights connected by a brushed aluminum decorative clamp. Each square has a molded plastic shade that defuses the bulb....Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsAluminum
- Pair of Cubic Desk Lamps Designed by Gaetano Sciolari Made in Italy, 1968By Gaetano SciolariLocated in Jersey City, NJPair of table lamps with three square lights in metal each graduating in height joined at the bottom by brushed aluminum The tops have a single socket in each a molded plastic diffus...Category
20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
- Mirror Signed by "Ettore Sottsass Produced by Glas Italia" Italy 2007By Ettore SottsassLocated in Jersey City, NJDioniso 1 mirror of early production designed by Ettore Sottsass in 2007 for Glas Italia 2007, comprises white, orange, red, and yellow colored glass in geometric shapes that surroun...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsMirror
- Diane Table Lamp Designed by Roberto Pamio for Leucos Italy 1990sBy Roberto Pamio, Leucos Design LabLocated in Jersey City, NJTable lamp in curved, hand made, satin aqua-colored cased glass and brushed nickel; labeled "Leucos Fatto A Mano Made in Italy." In excellent condition- no scratches or chi...Category
1990s Table Lamps
- Pair of Sconces, circa 1950 Made in FranceBy PhilipsLocated in Jersey City, NJPair of flush mount wall lights in brushed aluminum that can be installed horizontal or vertical. The interlocking design allows the front to glide up or down makes it easy to change...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Wall Lights and Sconces
$2,700 Sale Price / set38% Off
- Dorane Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for StilnovoBy Stilnovo, Ettore SottsassLocated in Little Burstead, EssexThis is one of the rarer twin bulb models of the Dorane lamps by the great Italian designer, Ettore Sottsasss, one of the founder members of the 'Memphis' group. Not only is this lam...Category
20th Century Italian Minimalist Table Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Ettore Sottsass classic "Don" lamp for Stilnovo, ItalyBy Stilnovo, Ettore SottsassLocated in Skokie, ILThe lamp consists of a relative heavy emerald green cubic base, a white slanted rod and a striking adjustable white shade. This shade is connected to the light bulb with a white lacq...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Enamel
- Don table lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo, Italy, 1980sBy Stilnovo, Ettore SottsassLocated in Milano, ITThe table lamp "Don" was created by Ettore Sottsass and produced by Stilnovo. The cubic base is emerald green and elegantly extends through a white inclined rod that connects the bas...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Don Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo, 1970sBy Stilnovo, Ettore SottsassLocated in Rotterdam, NLDon table lamp designed in 1977 by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by Stilnovo. The lamp consists of a relative heavy emerald green cubic base, a white ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Valigia Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo, 1977By Stilnovo, Ettore SottsassLocated in UTRECHT, NLFour-legged table lamp model Valigia. This oddly shaped table lamp is one of the many designs made by Ettore Sottsass. Inspired by the idea of a simple briefcase. The Valigia table l...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- vintage Ettore Sottsass "Don Lamp" for StilnovoBy Stilnovo, Ettore SottsassLocated in Saarbrücken, SLIconic Don Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo from Deadstock (new condition) Ettore Sottsass is known for his radical italian design. ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal