Aldo Londi for Bitossi Chamotte Ceramic Table Lamp, Italy, 1960s

Rare Mid-Century Modern table lamp from the Fritte series by Aldo Londi for Bitossi, produced in Montelupo Fiorentino, Italy, during the 1960s. The lamp is formed as a compact architectural volume in chamotte stoneware, with a strongly geometric frontal composition articulated by three recessed rectangular forms. The surface combines intense Bitossi blue with olive-green and earthy neutral tones, while the irregular, granular areas of the decoration reveal the material experimentation that distinguishes Londi's Fritte production. It comes with the vintage wicker lampshade shown in the first pictures, but the lamp also works beautifully with other styles of lampshades. The Fritte technique takes its name from "frit, " the glass component incorporated into the ceramic glaze. During firing, the material produces areas of depth, translucency, and irregular crystallization, giving the surface a quality closer to an excavated or weathered material than to conventional decorative ceramics. Dimensions. Total height, including brass lamp holder: 44 cm / 17.32 in. Ceramic height: 37 cm / 14.57 in. Width: 14.5 cm / 5.71 in. Depth: 10 cm / 3.94 in. There is a distinctly archaeological quality to this particular group of Londi ceramics. The rough chamotte body, fragmented geometry, mineral colors, and uneven surfaces suggest the appearance of fragments recovered from the earth, rather than an object conceived as a uniformly finished decorative surface. This is consistent with a broader aspect of Londi's artistic language. His work repeatedly drew upon Etruscan and primitive art, looking to historical ceramic traditions not as styles to reproduce literally, but as sources for a modern vocabulary of form, color, and material. In good vintage condition, with signs of age and wear consistent with age, beautiful natural patina. Recently rewired with new brass fittings and a vintage-style cord, switch, and plug.