PAF Tao Floor Lamp

Materials: Anthracite coloured, almost black metal, possible cast iron, square base. Long black metal rod. Black painted aluminium disc lampshade. Aluminium reflector. Porcelain R7 socket.

Height: 186 cm / 73.22”

Base: 28 x 28 cm / 11.02 x 11.02”

Electricity: 1 bulb R7, 1 x 300 watt maximum, 110, 220 volt.
Any type of R7 halogen light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred. 

Period: 1980s, 1990s.

Designer: Mario Barbaglia & Marco Colombo.

Manufacturer: PAF Studio, Milan, Italy.

Other Versions: This PAF Tao floor lamp exists in one version. It was at least also made with a red rod. In the 1989 catalogue a lamp with an orange rod appears. Sold with several different cord dimmers produced by Relco, Italy. Since 1995 model 5000 was used, designed by Ezio Didone. Before 1995 model Rondo was used.

Mario Barbaglia – Marco Colombo

Mario Barbaglia was born in 1950 in Milan, Italy. He graduated in architecture from the Politecnico di Milano (Milan Polytechnic), where he was a pupil of Paolo Portoghesi. Paolo Portoghesi was dean of the Faculty of Architecture at the Politecnico di Milano university from 1968 until 1978.

In 1975 Mario Barbaglia opened an office with Marco Colombo. In the beginning they focused on interior design projects for commercial areas. Later, in 1984, Mario Barbaglia and Marco Colombo started working with PAF Studio from Milan, later named Italiana Luce.

The Dove desk lamp was one of their first designs for PAF Studio, you can find it over here. It is also one of their best known designs. Many objects by the duo received international prizes and are to be found in the collections of museums all over the world. They remained partners until 1999.

PAF Studio

Whatever happened with PAF Studio, what later became Italiana Luce is unclear. In the 2000s the Dove desk lamp was produced by NEMO Lighting from Milan. Since 2020 it is out of production. It disappeared from their website.

The NEMO company was founded in 1993. Whether the company is the successor of Italiana Luce is unknown. Do you have an idea? Please let us know through the contact form and help improve the websites exactitude. 

NEMO s.r.l. produces lamps designed by Mario Bellini, Vico Magistretti, Karim Rashid, Le Corbusier (Charles-Édouard Jeanneret-Gris), Roberto Paoli, Carlo Forcolini and many others.