Cream & brass table lamp, Italian modernist, 1950s

Few decades understood the quiet drama of a table lamp as well as 1950s Italy. This conical base, in the spirit of Stilnovo and the Italian modernists of the period, is a fine example. A tapering cone of cream lacquered metal rises from a polished brass foot, and the soft ivory tone reads as warm and luminous against the brass. Slender brass bars of alternating length rise from the foot and climb the lower half of the cone like the rays of a rising sun. The staggered rhythm gives the base movement and depth without any ornament. The details are as considered as the silhouette. A slim brass stem leads to a tapered brass socket cup, echoing the lines of the base below. The lamp is paired with a custom-made shade in a soft cream fabric. Its slender conical form follows the lines of the base, and when lit it glows a honeyed gold while the brass catches the light along its length. The look is restrained and unmistakably mid-century, and it suits both a vintage-minded interior and a contemporary one. The lamp is in very good vintage condition and carries the gentle patina that comes with seven decades of life. It has been rewired and fitted with a new E27 socket, so it is fully working and ready to use.