Martinelli Luce Serpente Floor Lamp

Materials: Round orange metal base. Black plastic lid on the bottom. Orange painted metal (aluminium) curved swivel arm rod. Some metal parts. White acrylic mushroom lampshade. Bakelite E27 socket.

Height: 120 cm / 47.24”

Lampshade: ∅ 54 cm / 21.25”

Width: ∅ 140 cm / 55.11” max

Base: ∅ 39 cm / 15.35”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Elio Martinelli (1921-2004) in 1965.

Manufacturer: Martinelli Luce S.P.A. (Società per azioni – Joint-stock company), Via Santa Lucia, 9, 55100 Lucca, Italy. Some 80 km (50 miles) away from Florence and 20 km (13 miles) from Pisa. 

Other versions: The Martinelli Luce Serpente floor lamp is in production since 1965. It is made until today. During the years it is produced in slight variations and colours. The table lamp is model 599 and the floor lamp is model 2131.

Martinelli Luce

Martinelli Luce was founded in 1950 by Elio Martinelli. He focused originally on interior design and 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 lighting systems that resulted in the founding of his own company Martinelli Luce in 1950.
Elio Martinelli designed many famous lamps. Many of them are still in production. The Biconica (1987), Duemiladuecentocinquanta (2250 in Italian – 1986), Le Rondini (1984), Foglia (1969), Cono (1980), Blow (1980), Out (1984), Tube (1977), Poliedro (1962), Flex (1969), Gomito (1974), Nuvole Vagabonde (1999), Serpente (1965), Elmetto (1976) and the Cobra in 1968, to name the most important.
His works are on display in many design museums around the world. Martinelli worked until his death in 2004 for the company.

Acrylic

Often named by its commercial name: Perspex, Plexiglas, Crylux, Acrylite, Lucite, is a thermoplastic.