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Angelo Lelii Calla Table Lamp
Angelo Lelii
Mint green version of this table lamp
Angelo Lelii – Arredoluce
Links (external links open in a new window)
Silvana Editoriale website – publisher of the book
Vintageinfo
1940s pendant lamp model 12126
TV lamps
Angelo Lelii Calla Table Lamp
Materials: Brass tripod base and brass parts. Red painted aluminium conical folded lampshade, painted white inside. 3 white plastic caps. Bakelite E14 socket.
Height: 30 cm / 11.81”
Width: ∅ 11 cm / 4.33”
Electricity: 1 bulb E14, 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: Angelo Lelii aka Angelo Lelli (1911 – 1979).
Manufacturer: Arredoluce, Monza, Italy.
Other versions:
This Angelo Lelii Calla table lamp exists in several colour variations. A mint-green version is shown below.
This table lamp is commonly referred to as “Calla”, after the calla lily. However, the Calla table lamp designed by Angelo Lelii around 1950 is a different design. That earlier Calla model was also produced as a floor lamp and features multiple flower-shaped elements rising from a diabolo-shaped base. The present lamp was simply described as a “table lamp” when it entered production around 1959.
These lamps belong to the category of so-called “TV lamps”: table lamps intended to be placed on top of a black-and-white television to provide indirect backlighting. At the time, living rooms were often darkened to improve the visibility of the relatively blurry television screens, and such lamps helped soften the contrast by gently illuminating the surrounding space.
This table lamp is documented in the reference book Arredoluce – Catalogo Ragionato 1943–1987 / Catalogue Raisonné, written by Anty Pansera, Alessandro Padoan and Alessandro Palmaghini, and published by Silvana Editoriale. The table lamp is discussed on page 322. The earlier Calla floor and table lamp designs are documented on pages 123 and 281.
Angelo Lelii
Angelo Lelii (often referred to as Angelo Lelli) was born in 1911 in Monza, near Milan, Italy. He is regarded as one of the most important figures in post-war Italian lighting design, both as a designer and as an innovator in lighting production.
Lelii began experimenting with lighting during the early 1940s. In 1943, he designed and built his first lamps in the basement of his home, focusing on the relationship between light, material and colour. From the outset, his work stood out for its refined construction, technical ingenuity and sculptural quality.
His early designs quickly attracted attention within the Italian design scene. In 1946, Lelii was already featured with a full-page presentation in Domus magazine, a clear sign of recognition at the highest level of contemporary architecture and design.
Unlike many designers of his generation, Angelo Lelii was deeply involved in the manufacturing process of his designs. He continuously refined production techniques, experimented with new materials and finishes, and developed original mechanical solutions, resulting in lamps that combined technical precision with visual elegance.
Throughout his career, Lelii designed hundreds of lighting models, many of which are today regarded as icons of Italian modern design. His work remains highly sought after by collectors and museums, and is considered exemplary for the period of Italian design innovation from the late 1940s through the 1960s.
Arredoluce
Arredoluce was founded in 1947 in Monza by Angelo Lelii and quickly established itself as one of the most innovative Italian lighting manufacturers of the post-war period. The company remained active until 1987.
During the 1950s and 1960s, Arredoluce became internationally renowned for its progressive approach to lighting design. The company distinguished itself through an exceptional balance of technical experimentation, material research and architectural clarity. Arredoluce lamps were characterised by refined metalwork, expressive use of colour, and ingenious mechanical details.
Arredoluce also played a crucial role as a platform for collaboration. The firm worked with many of the most important architects and designers of the time, including Gio Ponti, Ettore Sottsass Jr., Vico Magistretti, Mario Tedeschi, Nanda Vigo, Egle Amaldi, Vincenzo Gozzini, Achille Castiglioni, Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Marco Comolli, Luigi Radice, Enrico Taglietti, Innocente Gandini, Gregotti, Meneghetti & Stoppino, Cesare Lacca, Franco Giovanni Legler and Elio Monesi.
Rather than following commercial trends, Arredoluce consistently pursued a research-driven design philosophy. Many of its lamps were produced in relatively small quantities and were often technically complex, which partly explains their scarcity today.
After the company ceased operations in 1987, the name Arredoluce gained legendary status among collectors. Although a modern Italian lighting company exists using the same name, it is not historically related to the original Arredoluce founded by Angelo Lelii.
Important note on the name “Arredoluce”: Today, the name Arredoluce is used by more than one unrelated company, which can easily cause confusion. The website arredoluce.com represents a modern initiative connected to the historic Arredoluce legacy: it explicitly states that “Arredoluce is a trademark owned by Auralis srl” and presents the brand as a reintroduction of the Monza tradition linked to Angelo Lelii.
By contrast, the company behind arredoluce.it is a separate and unrelated Italian business: its own company profile states that it was founded in 1986 in San Giovanni Lupatoto (province of Verona) and focuses on lighting consultancy and retail. It has no documented connection to the original Arredoluce of Monza.
