1950s Tripod Desk Lamp

Materials: Brass triangular tripod base. Conical beech wood rod. Conical white lampshade holder. Black mushroom lampshade. Conical ornamental nut on top. Some metal parts. Bakelite E27 socket.

Height: 40 cm / 15.74”

Width: ∅ 35 cm / 13.77”

Base: ∅ 15 cm / 5.90”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1950s, 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Massive, Mortsel, Kontich and Wommelgem, Belgium. 

Other versions: This 1950s tripod desk lamp was made in several colours. Several variations exists. Different base, leather rod, and so on.

Often attributed to Louis Kalff and Philips but it is not, of course. Often sold as an Italian lamp. Roaring names like Stilnovo and Arredoluce are often named… First wrongly attributed to VEB Leuchtenbau. Again, it is a lamp by Massive.

Massive

Massive was in origin a bronze foundry and they produced mainly candlesticks, crucifixes and chandeliers in Wilrijk near Antwerp, Belgium. The company was founded in 1926 by Pieter-Jozef De Jaeck. His son Eddy De Jaeck was responsible for the huge expansion of the company in the 1970s. But it were his sons, Piet and Jan De Jaeck who made Massive a true multinational. Thus, they moved production to Eastern Europe and China.

In the 1980s Massive became the leading brand in Europe. In 2002, the brothers left the company to the investment fund CVC Capital Partners, for allegedly more than 250 million euros. Since 2008 the company is owned by Philips and the name of the shops is changed into Light Gallery.

When the takeover by Philips was announced in November 2006 Massive commercialised more than 10.000 lighting products under brand names such as Massive, TRIO and Lirio. The group had about 5.000 employees worldwide and was active in 70 countries. Massive sold many lamps from other companies, To many to name them. Almost every company sold lamps made by others.