Martinelli Luce Bolla Flush Mount or Wall Lamp

Materials: Square curved white acrylic plastic lampshade. 4 anodised aluminium round lampshade holders and parts on the 4 corners. White painted metal (iron) ceiling mount. Bakelite or porcelain E27 sockets.

Height: 22 cm / 8.66”

Lampshade: 49 x 49 cm / 19.29 x 19.29”

Width: 52 x 52 cm / 20.47 x 20.47”

Electricity: 2 bulbs E27, 2 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used. But preferably opaque, frosted or white light bulbs.

Period: 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Elio Martinelli (1921 – 2004) in 1960.

Manufacturer:  Martinelli Luce S.P.A. (Società per azioni – Joint-stock company), Via Santa Lucia, 9, 55100 Lucca, Italy. 

Other versions: The Martinelli Luce Bolla flush mount was made in several sizes and some slight variations over the years: round corners, black painted aluminium, table and floor lamps. Also a very big flush mount (some 2 x 2 meters – 79”) was produced for a short while. Even a table with a built-in lamp was made in the 70’s. The Martinelli Luce Bolla flush mount is still in production (2019).

These lamps were made with incandescent light bulbs or 1 or 2 circular fluorescent tubes.

Martinelli Luce

Martinelli Luce was founded in 1950 by Elio Martinelli in Lucca. Lucca is some 80 km (50 miles) away from Florence and 20 km (13 miles) from Pisa.

Elio Martinelli focused originally on interior design and on lamps for retail outlets, hotels, restaurants, and public houses. Designers that worked for the company: Adolini+Simonini Associati, Gae Aulenti, Sergio Asti, Michel Bouquillon, Marco De Santi – Studio Natural, Angelo Micheli, Studio Orlandini, Luc Ramael, Karim Rashid, Marc Sadler, Studio Lucchi & Biserni, Brian Sironi, Studio 4P1B and many others.

Elio Martinelli

Elio Martinelli was born in Lucca, Tuscany in 1921. He studied as a set designer at the Institute of Fine Arts in Florence. At first he worked for  his father’s business within the lighting sector. Soon he began designing and installing his own lighting systems what resulted in the founding of his own company Martinelli Luce in 1950.

Elio Martinelli designed many famous lamps, some of them are still in production. The Biconica, Cavallo Pazzo, Cobra, Foglia, Flex, Geronimo, Nuvole Vagabonde, Serpente, to name the most important.

His works are on display in many design museums around the world. Elio Martinelli worked until his dead in 2004 for the company.