Orange Ceramic Table Lamp

Materials: Round chromed metal base (iron). White and orange enamelled ceramics. Hexagonal near the base, “globe” on top. Chrome parts. Polyester lampshade with 3 chromed metal rings. Bakelite E27 lamp socket.

Total Height: 80 cm / 31.49”

Height: 52 cm / 20.47”

Base: ∅ 20 cm / 7.87”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 75 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1960s, 1970s – Mid-Century modern.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Massive, Mortsel, Kontich and Wommelgem, Belgium.

Other versions: This orange ceramic table lamp exists in many forms, colours and sizes as you can see below.

These type of lamps are often attributed to Maison Barbier from Paris, France, but they are not. They are made in the style of the famous lamps by Barbier but made in Belgium. Almost every lamp by Barbier is signed. This lamp has no marks or whatsoever but labels on identical lamps say it is from the Massive lighting company. Several of them are on display, here on Vintageinfo.

Massive

Massive was in origin a bronze foundry and they produced mainly candlesticks, crucifixes and chandeliers in Wilrijk near Antwerp, Belgium. The company was founded in 1926 by Pieter-Jozef De Jaeck. His son Eddy De Jaeck was responsible for the huge expansion of the company in the 1970s. But it were his sons, Piet and Jan De Jaeck who made Massive a true multinational. Thus, they moved production to Eastern Europe and China.

In the 1980s Massive became the leading brand in Europe. In 2002, the brothers left the company to the investment fund CVC Capital Partners, for allegedly more than 250 million euros. Since 2008 the company is owned by Philips and the name of the shops is changed into Light Gallery.

When the takeover by Philips was announced in November 2006 Massive commercialised more than 10.000 lighting products under brand names such as Massive, TRIO and Lirio. The group had about 5.000 employees worldwide and was active in 70 countries.

Massive sold many lamps made by others. Peill + Putzler from Germany and Yamada Shomei from Japan produced lamps for Massive, to name a few. Many other lighting companies did.

VLM Components

The wiring, plug and socket is Italian and was made by the VLM Components company from Buccinasco near Milan. It uses the fantastic Achille Castiglioni switch model 450, also produced by VLM Components.