Florentine Droplet Table Lamp

Materials: Chromed metal (iron) round base. Crystal clear globe glass lampshade in a droplet form. Bakelite E14 socket.

Height: 33 cm / 12.99”

Width: ∅ 15 cm / 5.90”

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: 1960s, 1970s.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Targetti Sankey S.p.A., Via Pratese, 164, 50145 Firenze, Italy.

Other versions: This Florentine droplet table lamp exists as a chandelier, wall lamp, floor lamp, pendant lamp…

These type of lamps appear very often in buildings and streets in the Italian city of Florence, Italy. Below are some examples of lights that probably were first made more than 100 years ago. The wall lamps and a chandelier are to be seen in the hospital church “Ospedale vecchio di San Giovanni di Dio“ (Old Hospital of St. John of God) in the Borgo Ognissanti 20 (street) in Florence. (photo 1 & 2)
Today the church is part of the museum of health, the “museo della sanita“.
A very interesting building where you can see old hospital machinery and tools; the entrance is free.

In the 1960s Raak Amsterdam produced lamps with the same droplet idea, the “High Chaparral” (B-1052 – C-1622) lamp. Made as wall lamp, pendant lamp and sconce. Pictures are taken from the 1968 catalogue 8. (photo 3 & 4) Many other light factories produced lamps in this style around that time.

Targetti Sankey S.p.A.

Targetti Sankey S.p.A. was founded in 1928 by Sankey Targetti as a family business. His son Paolo was the second president of the company. Today his grandson Lorenzo succeeded Paolo in the chairmanship of the group, and Stella, his granddaughter, is the vice president of the Tuscany Region. The company has been designing and producing indoor and outdoor architectural light fixtures ever since.

The company specialises in lighting for large exhibition spaces. For example the lights used in the Galleria dell’Accademia di Firenze (Gallery of the Academy of Florence) to illuminate the world famous statue of David, made by Michelangelo Buonarroti (1475 – 1564), were a gift by Targetti for the museum. Also the Academy of Fine Arts (Accademia di Belle Arti) in Firenze is illuminated by Targetti.

Paolo Targetti

Paolo Targetti (1937 -2010) worked for the company since 1960 and has been working on the management’s commitments with an enthusiastic activity in the field of design of lighting and communication equipment. He was president of the Targetti Sankey S.p.A. company since 1985. For some years Targetti was president of the L’Accademia di Belle Arti (Academy of Fine Arts) in Florence.

Targetti was appointed President of the Industrial Association of Florence (L’Associazione industriali di Firenze) in 1987, member of the “giunta nazionale di Confindustria”, the Confederation National Council, since 1991, runner of work since 1992, president of the scuola di Scienze Aziendali, the School of Business Science in Florence from 2003 to 2010.

From 2004 to 2007 he was chairman of the National Association of Lighting Manufacturers, the L’Associazione nazionale dei produttori di illuminazione. Since 2008 he was president of the Academy of Fine Arts in Florence.

Villa La Sfacciata

In 1998 Paolo Targetti and Targetti Sankey bought the Villa La Sfacciata in Firenze, Italy.  It houses the Fondazione La Sfacciata Lighting Academy, the home of the Targetti Light Art collection, headed by Amnon Barzel.

The Foundation is dedicated to promoting lighting research, the diffusion of light culture and commissioning works of art to contemporary artists made with the use of artificial lights. The Villa La Sfacciata is located in via Volterrana 82, on the hill of Giogoli, near the Certosa di Firenze.