Model 4484 “Cleo” table lamp by Lars Bessfelt for Ateljé Lyktan, Sweden, 1986

The Cleo is a striking example of 1980s Scandinavian design. Lars Bessfelt created it for Ateljé Lyktan and launched it in 1986. It was produced only as a table lamp. Soft and sculptural, these Cleos pair a glossy white ceramic base with a wide, flat, conical shade that floats above it like a parasol. A slim chrome stem rises from an opening in the shoulder of the base, with a pull-chain ending in a small chrome ball. The shallow shade has a generous overhang, which gives the lamp its distinctive silhouette. Both shades are a soft, powdery pink. When lit, they glow a deep burgundy red. The light is cast two ways: upward through the open edge around the crown of the shade, and downward to wash the glazed shoulders of the base in a warm halo. The result is both a functional light and a glowing sculpture. Each base carries the original Ateljé Lyktan label (Åhus, Sweden), and its original felt pads on the underside protect your furniture. The white ceramic bases were made by Höganäs AB, the company known for producing over a million tiles for the roof of the Sydney Opera House. They are flawless, with no surface scratches or chips. The acrylic shade discs are likewise free of cracks and scratches. The original pink shades are in very good condition, with slight fading and one small stain on one shade that doesn’t affect the overall presence of the lamp. Both lamps retain their original cables and plugs, and each still carries its original model sticker on the lamp fitting. If you prefer a different shade colour, it is possible to arrange brand new shades in off-white or black, produced by Ateljén, at an additional cost. Please get in touch to discuss. The shades were supplied by Ateljén in 1986. Lars Bessfelt founded the company in 1981 and still runs it today. Ateljén has produced the flat shades for every lamp Bessfelt designed for Ateljé Lyktan, and has made lamps under its own brand, Zlamp, since 1994. On one of my recent buying trips, I had the opportunity to meet Lars Bessfelt in his studio in Anderslöv. Since I had just acquired this pair of Cleos, I asked him to sign both lamps and he was happy to do so. Each base is signed “Lars” on the underside. The Cleo takes a GR8 2-pin compact fluorescent 2D (square “butterfly” plug-in tube), a bulb type that is still available today, including in LED versions.