Lamperti Pelota Desk Lamp

Lamperti Pelota desk lamp curved black plastic lampshade design: Cesare Casati & Carlo Ponzio 1960s 1970s Italy

Lamperti Pelota Desk Lamp – 1972 Advertisement France

Lamperti Pelota Desk Lamp – 1972 Advertisement Italy

Pelota game

The Pelota game, here in the the film Cuba from 1979. Starring Sean Connery, Brooke Adams and Jack Weston.

Studio D.A. Designs – Raak, The Netherlands

The Raak Meander wall lamp (C-1615). More info about this wall lamp in the Raak Catalogue 9 on Vintageinfo here and here.

The Raak Bowler and Aureool pendant lamp, here in the Raak catalogue 9.

All these lamps were designed in 1972 by Studio D.A. for the Raak company.

Materials: Curved black plastic lampshade. White plastic layer on the inside. Chromed metal (iron) perforated front plate. Some small metal parts. Bakelite E14 socket.

Height:31.75 cm / 12.50”

Width:22.86 cm / 9”

Electricity: 1bulbE14, 1 x 40 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Anytypeof light bulbcanbeused, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Studio D.A.: Cesare Maria Casati and Carlo Emanuele Ponzio in 1968.

Manufacturer: Lamperti, Robbiata, Como, Italy.

Other versions: The Lamperti Pelota desk lamp exists in many colours, but was only made in one size.

Pelota

The name Pelota originates from a Bask (Spain) ball game that is 400 years old, called pelota vasca. Pilota in the original Basque language also pelota vasca in Spanish; pelote basque in French. The pelota is known to be the hardest ball of any sport. It is roughly 3/4 the size of a baseball and is harder than a rock. It’s not the ball, but the throwing stick called xistera or chistéra that looks the sameasthis lamp. Wikipedia (link opens in a new window): Basque pelota

The game is called pelota vasca in Spain but the Western Hemisphere name of Jai-alai, which is Basque for “merry festival”, was given when it was introduced in Cuba. More info on this website: www.jai-alai.info (link opens in a new window)

Studio D.A.

Studio D.A. (Designers Associati) was founded in Milan in the early 1960s by Cesare Maria Casati (born 1936) and Carlo Emanuele Ponzio (1923–2015). Working from their original office in Piazza Borromeo 12, the studio became active in interior architecture, exhibitions, furniture and industrial design.
Casati, a former pupil of Gio Ponti, was editor-in-chief of Domus between 1976 and 1979 and later of La Mia Casa, and has been a member of the ADI since 1967.

Studio D.A. cooperated with numerous important manufacturers such as Venini, Martinelli Luce, Raak, Harvey Guzzini, Candle (FontanaArte), Comfort, Abet Print and Arflex. Among their most recognisable works is the Pillola table lamp for Ponteur/Nai (1968), now part of the MoMA collection. The practice continues today as Studio D.A. Designers Associati, led by Casati together with his son Matteo.

Studio D.A. designed many beautiful lamps such as the Pillola (pill) table lamp for Ponteur in 1968 and the Disco pendant and table lamp for Design House (Harvey Guzzini). You can find the Disco pendant lamp over here. Another Lamperti table lamp can be found over here.

Lamperti

Lamperti was an Italian lighting company active from the 1960s through the 1990s, based in Robbiate, near Como, Italy. The company became known for its innovative and sculptural lighting designs that reflected the aesthetics of modernism and Space Age design.

Founded in 1948, Lamperti specialized in lighting that balanced functionality with artistic expression. It collaborated with prominent designers such as Cesare Maria Casati and Carlo Emanuele Ponzio of Studio D.A., as well as Max Baguara, Salvatore Gregorietti, Gino Colombini, Ernesto Radaelli, Elvio Becheroni, Oscar Torlasco, Roberto Menghi, Giovanni Grignani, and Theodor Neumaier.

One of Lamperti’s most recognized creations is the Pelota table lamp, designed in 1968 by Studio D.A. Other notable designs include the Laser floor lamps by Max Baguara from the 1980s and the Diedron floor lamp by Giovanni Grignani.

Another Lamperti

An American company with the name Lamperti Associates exists. It was founded in 1965 by Al Lamperti and is located in San Rafael, California. They are furniture makers and the company is still active. It got nothing to do with the Italian company.

The Xistera