Ettore Sottsass Valigia Table Lamp by Stilnovo, Italy, 1977
About the Item
- Creator:Stilnovo (Manufacturer),Ettore Sottsass (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 14.57 in (37 cm)Width: 13.39 in (34 cm)Depth: 8.67 in (22 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1977
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Roosendaal, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU93306454303
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 (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: Roosendaal, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Ettore Sottsass Halo Click Table Lamp Philips, 1988By Ettore SottsassLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantRare ‘Halo Click 2’ table lamp designed by Ettore Sottsass for Philips, Holland 1988. This rare off-white table lamp was designed by Ettore Sottsass for the...Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Ettore Sottsass Halo Click 2 Table Lamp Black Philips 1988By Ettore SottsassLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantNice ‘Halo Click 2’ table lamp designed by Ettore Sottsass and manufactured by Philips, Holland 1988. This rare dark grey table lamp was designed by Ettore ...Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Ettore Sottsass "Halo Click 2" Table Lamp for Philips 1988By Ettore SottsassLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantVery rare unusual colored ‘Halo Click 2’ table lamp designed by Ettore Sottsass for Philips, Holland 1988. This rare lime green table lamp was d...Category
Vintage 1980s Dutch Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Stilnovo Table Lamp Leather Model 8041, Italy, 1960By StilnovoLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantVery nice table lamp model 8041 designed and made by Stilnovo, Italy 1960. This is for a very nice modernist shaped table pendant lamp with a nickel plated shade, glass diffuser and ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsAluminum
- Stilnovo pair of lantern lamps Italy 1955By StilnovoLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantAbsolutely fantastic and rare pair of floor lamps, designed and manufactured by Stilnovo, Italy 1955. These floor lamps have the look of an Art Deco outdoor lamp...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Aluminum, Brass
- Lumenform table lamp by Ennio Chiggio Italy 1970By Lumenform, Ennio ChiggioLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantRare and impressive table lamp designed by Ennio Chiggio and made by Lumenform in Italy in 1970. It's quite unique because it looks like the chrome shade is floating in the air, but ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsChrome
- Valigia Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo, 1977By Ettore Sottsass, StilnovoLocated 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
- Valigia Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo, 1977By Ettore SottsassLocated in PARIS, FRValigia floor or table lamp by Sottsass for Stilnovo, 1970s Valigia table or floor lamp with tubular structure in white painted tubular steel. The sheet metal lampshade is bicol...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- “Valigia” Table Lamp by Ettore Sottsass, 1970sBy Ettore Sottsass, StilnovoLocated in Roma, ITA “Valigia” table lamp manufactured by Stilnovo. Chrome-plated tubular steel and varnished steel sheet, with a manufacturer’s label. Very good conditions. Bibliography: Giulia...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsSteel
- Italian Mid-Century Steel Valigia Floor Table Lamp by Sottsass Stilnovo, 1970By Stilnovo, Ettore SottsassLocated in MIlano, ITItalian mid-century steel Valigia floor or table lamp by Sottsass for Stilnovo, 1970s Valigia table or floor lamp with tubular structure in white painted tubular steel. The sheet me...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal, Steel
- Don table lamp by Ettore Sottsass for Stilnovo, Italy, 1980sBy Ettore Sottsass, StilnovoLocated 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