Quattrifolio Boris Desk Lamp

Materials: Black plastic round base & parts. Cast iron counterweight below. Grey anodised aluminium rods. Some chromed metal (iron) parts. Conical silver painted aluminium lampshade. Bakelite E27 socket.

Height: 60 cm / 23.62” – adjustable

Arm: 100 cm / 39.37” – stretched

Lampshade: 10,5 cm / 4.13”

Base: 21 x 25 cm / 8.26 x 9.84”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 100 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, but a reflector bulb is preferred.

Period: 1990s.

Designers: Makio Hasuike (1938) and Hisham Kulhanek in 1992.

Manufacturer: Quattrifolio 1964 s.r.l., Via Emilia, 18, 20089 Rozzano, Milan, Italy. Before it was named Quattrifolio s.r.l. 

Other versions: The Quattrifolio Boris desk lamp exists also in chrome, red, blue, white and black. It also exists as a wall lamp and floor lamp. A desk-screw base also exists. A very similar lamp is the Boss desk lamp, also a design of Makio Hasuike and Hisham Kulhanek, s you can see.

Quattrifolio

Quattrifolio was founded in 1964 and still exists today (2019). Unfortunately the website was last updated in 2007 and is made in Flash. 

Translated text from their website:

Quattrifolio was born in 1964, while the wave of Italian design was in full development during those years. The intention to produce well-made objects, as well as a sophisticated design, has enabled us to contribute to the growth not only of the company but also of the entire design scene in Italy. Over the years the company maintained the original concepts of the founding members. At the same time, the current management team is popular and has been working in the lighting and design sector for decades and giving life to Quattrifolio 1964 s.r.l.

The specific experience of the working group forms the basis for production in terms of quality, technology and design. The innovations of the productive activity in each sector, indispensable elements for dialogue on an international market. Together with them, it is our intention to give our discussion partners everything that is best in service, technical assistance and service, constantly talking to them, both with men and with current technologies.

Makio Hasuike

Makio Hasuike was born on 20th January 1938 in Tokyo. Graduating from the Tokyo University of the Arts in 1962, Makio Hasuike began his professional career in Japan by working for one year with Seiko: he designed a set of clocks and timers for the Tokyo Olympic Games, held in in 1964.

In 1963 he established himself in Italy, working in different fields of industrial design. In 1968 he set up his own studio in Milan, one of the first studios of Industrial Design in Italy.

Later in 1982 he created MH Way, an experimental project aimed at conceiving and marketing some innovative products such as briefcases. This thorough design activity directly confronted him with all the aspects connected with production and distribution. The company, still active today, is a rare example of successful “design company”.

In over 40 years of activity he cooperated with several Italian and international companies, in various fields, contributing to their success through design solutions that are innovative in terms of appearance and contents.

Makio Hasuike & Co. works in a wide range of design: from high technology instruments and tools to work and spare time accessories, from small and large household appliances to furniture and home accessories, from brand identity and packaging to Exhibition Design.

Prizes

His projects obtained many prestigious prizes and acknowledgements, such as “Compasso d’oro”, “Macef”, “Triennale”, “Smau”, “Bio” (Ljubljana), “Design plus” (Frankfurt), “Design Preis” (Stuttgart), “Design Innovation” (Essen), and they continue to be displayed in permanent exhibitions like the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) of New York.

He frequently has been invited to hold classes and lectures at numerous conferences and international conventions and he taught at the University of Industrial Design in Milan. Moreover as a result of his successes in this field, Makio Hasuike became one of the members of the founding committee of the Master in Strategic Design at the Polytechnic of Milan.