Bulb Pendant Lamp

Materials: White opal glass bulb. Polished brass “screw-thread”. Made of hand blown glass. Some brass parts. Bakelite E27 socket.

Cord Length: 60 cm / 23.62’’

Height: 30 cm / 11.81”

Width: ∅ 24 cm / 9.44”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Not any type of light bulb can be used, a small E27 bulb is required. A white or frosted one gives the most beautiful result. Clear bulbs creates stripes on white glass.

Period: 1970s, 1980s – Mid-Century modern.

Designer: To be appraised, designed after the classic E27 light bulb designed (not invented) by Thomas Alva Edison (February 11, 1847 – October 18, 1931).

Manufacturer: To be appraised.

Other versions: Many companies produced similar pendant lamps. Artemide produced the Arianna pendant lamp. A design by Piero Brombin. It appears in the 1976 StudioA catalogue. However, the 1980s pendant lamp designed by Ingo Maurer became the most well known. Probably because he already designed the table and floor lamp in 1966. Also the Spanish company Metalarte produced a bulb pendant lamp. You can find it over here.

Artemide 

The Artemide Group is based in Pregnana Milanese, Italy. The company is best known for the Tizio desk lamp designed by Richard Sapper in 1972. The company is also famous for the Tolomeo desk lamp, designed by Michele De Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassina in 1986. Artemide produced many other beautiful lamps en furniture during all those the years.

Designers who have collaborated with Artemide include Mario Botta, Sir Norman Foster, Ettore Sottsass, Enzo Mari, Neil Poulton, Karim Rashid, Giò Ponti and many others.

Ingo Maurer

Although Ingo Maurer designed the Bulb Bulb lamp in 1980, this pendant lamp is slightly older and made in the 1970s by an unknown company, there is no label present.

Ingo Maurer (1932 – 2019) designed several variations of this lamp during the years. The pendant lamp named “Bulb Bulb” (a light bulb in a light bulb) was designed in 1980. The hanging light was designed for the American market, but it was also a big success in Europe. Different colours of light bulbs can be used to change the appearance of the lamp. The original “Bulb Bulb” lamp was made in injection molded plastic.

The most famous “Bulb” table lamp is designed in 1966 by Ingo Maurer and made in two sizes, 30 cm and the “Giant” was 56 cm. The normal size is still in production but only in clear crystal Murano glass. The opal version is out of production. It was designed after the idea of the over sized examples created by the American pop art artist Claes Oldenburg.