"Pileo" floor lamp by Gae Aulenti for Artemide, 1972

Italian work, 1972. H 132 X W 42 X D 40 cm. Moulded ABS Good condition, yellowing of the plastic; a missing part at the lampshade joint. A cylindrical base resting on the ground, a hemispherical cap that overhangs and pivots on its axis to direct the light. Two elementary volumes, no visible joints, no ornamentation. Gae Aulenti designed in 1972 for Artemide a family of three lamps in moulded ABS — Table Pileino, Mezzo Pileo, Floor Pileo — which features the same silhouette in three sizes. The model belongs to the moment when moulded plastic ceases to be an economical substitute and becomes, for Italian publishers, a fully-fledged design material. Period example in the floor version, the tallest of the three variations. It bears the original publisher's marking under its base: S.p.A. Artemide Milano — modello Pileo-Mezzo Pileo — design Gae Aulenti — made in Italy.