Bo-Niko White Bakelite Wall Lamp

Materials: White Bakelite wall mount. Some galvanised iron parts. White opal frosted glass oval globe lampshade. Red-brown Bakelite E27 socket.

Height: 16,3 cm / 6.41”

Width: 13,5 cm / 5.31”

Depth: 15 cm / 5.90”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb with an E27 screw base can be used, not a specific one preferred. However, white or frosted bulbs gives the most beautiful result in combination with opal glass.

Period: 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Bo-Niko, Industriepark West, 40, 9100 Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. Part of Niko NV. 

Other versions: This Bo-Niko white Bakelite wall lamp was also produced in black. Two types of glass: satin or normal white opal glass. The glass was produced by the glass factory De Rupel, also from Belgium.

Bo-Niko

Bo-Niko is part of Niko. Niko is the biggest electric components company from Belgium since decades. The firm was established shortly after World War 1 in 1919 by the two brothers Alphonse and Werner De Backer in Sint-Niklaas, Belgium. The duo first started their business as a bicycle chain producer before they switched to porcelain switches and sockets.

The name Niko is derived from the town where the company is located: Sint-Niklaas: Saint-Nicolas. Sint-Niko-Laas in old Flemish.

In 1962 Niko started with luminaires and founded the Bo-Niko company. It was an instant success. A new factory was opened to meet the demand. In 1972 the company moved from the center of the city to an industrial area near the highway E17 from Antwerp to Ghent. 

Today Jo De Backer is the CEO of Niko, Jo is the grandson of one of the founders. Whatever happened with the Bo-Niko company is unclear, Niko does not produce luminaires anymore. The core business of Niko is household switches, sockets, home automation and energy solutions.