Brutalist Broken Glass Wall Lamp

Materials: Rectangular bronze painted metal (iron) wall mount. Broken green, red and clear glass fragments, blocks, glued on a rectangular glass plate forming a striped design. Some metal parts. White Bakelite E14 socket. 

Height: 20 cm / 7.87”

Width: 12,5 cm / 4.92”

Depth: 8 cm / 3.14”

Electricity: 1 bulb E14, 1 x 40 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Gebrüder Cosack – Gecos, Neheim-Hüsten, Germany.

Other versions: This brutalist broken glass wall lamp was made in several colours and sizes.

Probably inspired by a design by Willem van Oyen Sr. for RaakLichtarchitectuur, The Netherlands: the Chartres wall lamp. Several light companies produced their version of the Chartres lamps.

The style of these type of lamps is often named Brutalist. Not to be confused with the Brutalist architecture, or Brutalism from more or less the same period. That’s something completely different.

Cosack Leuchten

The Gebrüder Cosack (Gecos) company was founded in 1848 as a metal processing plant in Neheim-Hüsten, Germany by Egon, Friedrich and Theodor Cosack together with Gottliebe Tappe. It was named Metallwarenfabrik Tapp + Cosack. In the beginning they made liturgical items, crosses and upholstery nails made of brass and they also produced kerosene lamps. Later the company came to the production of electric lamps.

After the Second World War Cosack pursued a modern direction. A best seller were copper lighting for restaurants. It is said that the company was declared bankrupt in 1984, but the last catalogue I have (1989 -1990) was published in 1989.

Best known designers: Gottfried Stürzenhofecker, K. H. Kinsky, Hans Wilfried Hegger, Hans-Joachim Groth, Burkhard Panteleit, Joachim O. Becker, Prof. Friedrich Becker, Waldemar Rothe and Jan Armgardt. 

Gebrüder Cosack (Gecos) received 15 iF Design Awards. 

VLM Components

All the electric parts were made by VLM Components in the 1960s. The company was founded in 1945 in Buccinasco, a small village near Milan, Italy. The company became famous for the switches they produce since 1968, designed by Achille Castiglioni. You can find them over here.

VLM is part of the Relco Group, founded in 1967. Today they are the owners of the brands Relco, Leuci, Relco Lighting, VLM and Segno.