Pair of vintage Italian Gino Sarfatti Model 540 table lamps for Arteluce

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Pair of vintage Italian Gino Sarfatti Model 540 table lamps for Arteluce

About the Item

Pair of original vintage Italian Gino Sarfatti Model 540 table lamps for Arteluce, 1968 The 540 is, unfortunately, one of those designs that has many listings that are being sold as originals, but that are in fact copies – but fortunately, once you know what you’re looking for the imposters are easy to spot! Originally designed by Sarfatti in 1968 the 540 formed part of a series of lights that used the same basic design of the polished metal globe and acrylic holder, but suspended within different settings. As such we can see the light was used as a (usually triple head) pendant ceiling light, floor lamp and most often, as here, a freestanding table lamp. In all cases the design utilises a curved flat ‘U’ shaped acrylic holder that creates a natural tension that holds the ball light in place via cut outs in the sides. On this basis the very first iteration of the 540 table lamp was created by simply using one element of the triple headed pendant ceiling light and adding an on/off switch to the cable and a plug. If you look at a picture of the 540 ceiling light you’ll see what I mean. The very first original 540s are therefore categorised as using a single skin chromed aluminium globe that features a circle of round ventilation holes surrounding the black cable that exits centre back of the piece – the cable then has an on/off switch attached along its length at a distance of approximately 12 inches. This was a very simple solution to creating a variety of lighting profiles using the same basic design and was typical of the ingenious nature of Sarfatti’s designs. That said, the table light did receive a design update a little later in its life with the addition of a switch attached to the globe in the centre at the back, with the cable protruding out a little lower under – plus it had the round ventilation holes drilled in a line vertically, centre, front to back instead of circular in the back as on the very first version of the model. Copies, although based on Sarfatti’s design, were mostly produced in the 1970s by the German company Insta GmbH and was called Sensorette – they also produced a touch sensitive on/off model. These were designed with a double skin, with both textured and smooth polished interior reflector options, which was different to the originals, but also had different ventilation holes. Whilst they still did have round ventilation holes in the back the copies are categorised by having elongated oval holes that circle close to the front rim and are therefore easy to spot as copies. That said the German copies are actually well made, as opposed to a proliferation of cheap Chinese made copies (also using the same elongated oval holes) that are doing the rounds; so be warned! Anyway, back to these lights… as you can see they are first generation produced by Arteluce and remain in very good condition for their age. They have some small marks and light scratches here and there to the acrylic holders and the chrome, just as you would expect and some slight discoloration and marks to the interior surface of the light shell. None of this detracts for the beauty and function of the luminaires themselves. They are relatively small light but one that is wonderfully practical as a background or task light. This is because the ball can be rotated to a variety of angles and hold their position by virtue of the tension created by the acrylic holder. As such they can be used as uplighters, angled down lighters or set to focus on a wall or a painting as more of a spotlight. They come supplied with the original European two pin plug as well as with a UK 3 pin adapter as shown in the accompanying photos. They also come supplied with mirrored spot bulbs (as originally intended by Sarfatti) but of course these are replacements rather than the 55 year old originals! Both lights have been fully electrically tested but in any event we would recommend you test the items independently before use in case any damages have occurred during transportation. Gino Sarfatti Gino Sarfatti was known as The Master of Light, which is a fitting tribute to a man that devoted 40 years of his life to pursuing the idea perfection in lighting. Having founded Arteluce in 1939 he created over 400 lighting designs which generated some 700 luminaires before selling to FLOS in 1973. He retired to Lake Como where the light that reflects from the lake is supposed to be like the light from heaven itself and passed away there in 1985. Having initially trained as an aeronautical engineer his practical and rational approach to lighting led him to constantly challenge convention. He is famous for experimenting with traditional forms, twisting them through new light sources and materials. He used transformers, weights, wires and numerous ingenious devices to generate and direct light in ways that many other designers could not have even conceived of. In 1957 he reimagined the idea of the chandelier for the modern home and his chandelier series, the 2097, stands out as one of his most famous and enduring designs. He was friends, and worked with, many of the most iconic Italian designers of the time including Franco Albini, Osvaldo Borsani, Vico Magistretti and Ico Parisi. They recognised in him a singular talent that in many cases outshone their own. He worked with a hands on approach, rarely sketching ideas, but rather working directly with artisans to build and refine his designs in real time. He often worked through the night guided by the very light that shone from his work. He was critically acclaimed and won countless awards over his span of years including the Compasso d'Oro in 1954 and 1955, and In December 1973, the year he sold his company, he won the gold medal at the XV Triennale. His commitment to designing lights that responded precisely to modern needs mark him as a true pioneer in the field. Many of his designs are still produced by FLOS even to this day and his work stands as an inspiration to many who followed in his footsteps.

Creator:
Gino Sarfatti (Designer),Arteluce (Maker)
Dimensions:
Height: 8.67 in (22 cm)Width: 4.73 in (12 cm)Depth: 4.34 in (11 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Power Source:
Plug-in
Voltage:
220-240v
Lampshade:
Included
Style:
Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Acrylic,Aluminum
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
Mid-20th Century
Date of Manufacture:
1960s
Condition:
Wear consistent with age and use.
Seller Location:
Highclere, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: GS21stDibs: LU4278238884512

Shop All Gino Sarfatti

Gino Sarfatti

That a spiky, futuristic chandelier named “Sputnik,” which was highly suggestive of the Soviet satellite of the same name, designed by an Italian engineer could predate the space age and the satellite’s launch by a few decades is the stuff of legend. But in 1939, Venetian-born Gino Sarfatti channeled his obsession with light and expert engineering skills into a design so bold it predicted the future. He would go on to design around 700 lighting products in his lifetime — each table lamp, wall light, pendant and chandelier superb and unorthodox in shape.

Sarfatti’s singular focus on creating opulent lighting designs that were rational in their use of resources makes him one of the most innovative lighting designers in history. He was studying to be an aeronautical engineer at the University of Genoa when his family’s financial troubles led him to drop out and move to Milan to help. During this time, he built a lamp for a friend using a coffee machine’s electric components and a glass vase. This exercise sparked his fascination with lighting, and he went on to found Arteluce in 1939. What followed was a period of working with skilled artisans and tinkering with materials instead of sketching. The self-taught designer soon established himself as a creator of provocative, sculptural luxury lighting. Through the company, he collaborated with some of the 20th century’s most influential designers, such as Vittoriano Viganò, who worked on Arteluce lighting between 1946 and 1960. In the 1950s and ’70s, Franco Albini, Franca Helg, Ico Parisi and Massimo Vignelli all contributed designs.

Sarfatti used resources mindfully and injected functionality into everything he designed. His light fixtures were lightweight, easy to take apart and reassemble and could be affordably repaired. This marriage of utilitarianism and glamour lent Sarfatti’s designs a clean, minimal yet arresting splendor, based on their graphical forms and construction.

After World War II, Sarfatti embraced new wiring technologies and materials like plexiglass, such as his 1972 project with Carlo Mollino that filled the Teatro Regio in Turin with hundreds of plexiglass pipes. In 1973, Sarfatti sold Arteluce to FLOS. His foresight, invention and fearlessness as a designer are revered to this day.

Find a collection of vintage Gino Sarfatti lighting now on 1stDibs.

Shop All Arteluce

Arteluce

The lighting maker Arteluce was one of the companies at the heart of the creative explosion in postwar Italian design. The firm’s founder and guiding spirit, Gino Sarfatti (1912–85), was an incessant technical and stylistic innovator who almost single-handedly reinvented the chandelier as a modernist lighting form.

Sarfatti attended the University of Genoa to study aeronautical engineering but was forced to drop out when his father’s company went out of business. His mechanical instincts led him to turn his attention to lighting design — and he founded Arteluce as a small workshop in Milan in 1939. Sarfatti’s father was a Jew, so the family fled to Switzerland in 1943, but after the war — largely thanks to Sarfatti’s insistence on efficiency of design and manufacture — Arteluce quickly established itself as a top firm.

Though Sarfatti continued as chief designer through the 1950s and ’60s, he also enlisted other designers such as Franco Albini and Massimo Vignelli to contribute work. Sarfatti sold Arteluce to FLOS — a rival Italian lighting maker — in 1973 and retired to pursue a more traditional avocation: collecting and dealing rare postage stamps.

Sarfatti is regarded by many collectors as a pioneer of minimalist design. He pared down his lighting works to their essentials, focusing on practical aspects such as flexibility of use. His most famous light, the 2097 chandelier, is a brilliant example of reductive modernist design, featuring a central cylinder from which branches numerous supporting fixtures extending like spokes on a wheel.

Similarly, Sarfatti's 566 table lamp is a simple canister, able to be raised or lowered on a stem, holding a half-chrome bulb. Despite the marked functionality of his designs, Sarfatti did have a sprightly side: His 534 table lamp, with its cluster of rounded enameled shades, resembles a vase full of flowers, the Sputnik chandelier (model 2003) was inspired by fireworks and the brightly colored plastic disks of the 2072 chandelier look like lollipops. No matter the style, Sarfatti concentrated first and foremost on the character of light created — and any Arteluce lamp is a modernist masterpiece.

Find vintage Arteluce table lamps, chandeliers, floor lamps and other lighting on 1stDibs.