Miguel Milá Asa Table Lamp

Materials: Folded black rod base. White opal acrylic tubular lampshade. Brass E27 socket with a porcelain ring.

Height: 40 cm / 15.74”

Width: ∅ 16 cm / 6.29”

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: Miguel Milá in 1960.

Manufacturer: Tramo, Barcelona, Spain.

Other versions: This Miguel Milá Asa table lamp exists with a black or a white rod. It is in production since the sixties.

Today it is sold by Santo & Cole, amongst other lamps designed by Miguel Milá. Early editions have a cane handle wrapped around the metal top. Today a black and a white versions are for sale. The switch is on the lampshade, the old ones have a wire switch.

This Miguel Milá Asa table lamp is derived from the Instituto Universitario Dexeus (University Institute) in Barcelona, as labelled.

Produced by Tramo from 1964 until 1965, by Polinax from 1965 until 1982. DAE S.A. produced it from 1988 until 2012.

Today it is in production by Santa & Cole.

Santa & Cole says it is designed in 1961, the Barcelona Design Museum says 1960.

This table lamp is similar with a design by Gino Sarfatti and produced by his company Arteluce, model 563 from 1955. Book: Gino Sarfatti – Selected Works 1938-1973.

Text from the Santa & Cole website

In 1961 this lamp was part of Miguel Milá‘s first collection for Tramo, the company he founded to produce his own work in post-war Spain. He dabbled in a profession that he would later go on to master, that of a pre-industrial designer, as he likes to introduce himself. Milá‘s pieces, and the names he gives them, have an incredible depth that lies beneath their simplicity.

Asa is built of a single, continuous tube. Lightweight, yet robust, the handle-shaped structure makes it easy to carry everywhere. Santa & Cole is reediting both the all-white version, pure and simple, and the original version from 1961, where the black metallic structure and switch contrast the white shade. Three visible elements that make up a whole.

Tramo

The Tramo – Trabajos molestos – Annoying works company was founded in the 1950’s by Miguel Milá together with two friends, architects F. Ribas Barangé and E. Pérez Ullibari.

Many lamps were designed, among others the TMC and TMM lamps in 1958 and 1961. These beautiful floor lamps are still in production by Santa & Cole. Later in the sixties he set up his own design studio.

In 1960’s Miguel Milá founded the the ADI-FAD, the Industrial Design Association, together with Antoni de Moragas, André Ricard, Bohigas, Cirici Pellicer, Manel Cases and Rafael Marquina.

Miguel Milá also designed lamps for the company of his brother Leopoldo, named Polinax. Among other things, Leopoldo designed one of the most iconic motorbikes of all time: the Montesa Impala and the Montesa Cota 247.

Polinax

Miguel Milá also designed lamps for the company of his brother Leopoldo, named Polinax. Among other things, Leopoldo (1921-2006) designed one of the most iconic motorbikes of all time: the Montesa Impala and the Montesa Cota 247.

Later, at the end of the 80’s Leopoldo created  the DAE company, the Diseño de Ahorro de Energía (Energy Savings Design) that specialised in the design of street furniture.

Acrylic: often named by its commercial name: Perspex, Plexiglas, Crylux, Acrylite, Lucite, is a (mostly) transparent thermoplastic.