Interview with Vico Magistretti in Italian – Magistretti e l’Italian Design
Oluce Sonora Pendant Lamp 408, 409, 410 – 1983 Catalogue Picture
Oluce Sonora Pendant Lamp
Materials: Half round white painted mushroom lampshade, painted white on the inside. Steel wire. Some metal parts. 2 metal E27 sockets.
Cord: 100 cm / 39.37” – adjustable
Height: 37 cm / 14.56”
Width: ∅ 73 cm / 28.74”
Electricity: 2 bulbs E27, 2 x 100 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb with an E27 screw base can be used. Not a specific one preferred.
Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.
Designer: Vico Magistretti (October 6, 1920 – September 19, 2006) in 1976.
Manufacturer: Oluce, Via Brescia, 2, 20097, San Donato Milan, Italy.
Other versions: The Oluce Sonora pendant lamp exists in several sizes. This one is no longer in production. Other versions today (2020) are 133 cm / 52.36”, 90 cm / 35.43”, ∅ 50 cm / 19.68”. And the smallest version is ∅ 38 cm / 14.96”.
The lampshade is similar to the shade of the Oluce Atollo table lamp, designed a year later in 1977.
Vico Magistretti
Vico Magistretti was an Italian industrial designer, furniture designer, light designer and architect. He also designed another famous lamp for Oluce, the Atollo table lamp. You can find it here on Vintageinfo.
For many years, Magistretti was art director and chief designer of the Oluce company. Conferring his unmistakable stamp and a legacy of worldwide recognition. Kuta, Lester. Nara, Idomeneo, Pascal. Dim, Sonora. Snow, and especially Atollo – all became names that instantly called to mind the corresponding product. Atollo even became a sort of template. A graphic silhouette that immediately rendered the concept of a “lamp”.
Artemide – FontanaArte
Vico Magistretti designed many lamps and items for Artemide. You can find them here in the catalogues. The Dalù table lamp. The Eclisse table lamp. The Mezzachimera table lamp. To name a few. He also designed several lamps for FontanaArte. You can also find them here in the catalogues.
Vico Magistretti Foundation
Via Conservatorio, 20, 20122 Milano, Italy
Visit the studio museum and discover more about Vico Magistretti work as designer and architect. The studio museum is open on Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. More info on the website of the museum. http://www.vicomagistretti.it/en/museum/practical
Oluce – O-Luce
The Oluce company was founded in 1945 by Giuseppe Ostuni. It is the oldest Italian design company in the illumination sector still in operation today. The company received numerous awards over the years.
Designers that worked for the company, are among others: Angelo Ostuni, Achille, Livio and Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, Franco Buzzi, Joe and Gianni Colombo, Marco Zanuso, Tito Agnoli, Angeletti & Ruzza, Antonia Astori & Nicola De Ponti, Bruno Gecchelin, Stefano Casciani, Francesco Rota, Victor Vasilev, Ferdi Giardini, Vico Magistretti and many others.
The complete Oluce history can be found on their website.
Links (external links open in a new window)
Vico Magistretti on the Oluce website
Wikipedia about Vico Magistretti
Interview with Vico Magistretti on Designboom
Article in The Guardian about Vico Magistretti
Vintageinfo
Vico Magistretti lamps
Many thanks to Frank from nullviernull raum+kommunikation for the beautiful pictures and enthusiasm. You can find his shop over here on Ebay.