Rise & Fall Pillola Spotlight Pendant Lamp

Materials: Translucent clear acrylic rounded rectangular disc. Chromed metal tube with a ring (iron and brass). Chrome tubular lamp socket holders with chrome square rods. Rolly rise & fall mechanism. Some chrome and metal parts. Porcelain E27 sockets.

Cord: This one has an adjustable rise & fall mechanism (40 – 140 cm / 15.74 – 55.11”). It can be easily adjusted in height by pulling the chromed ring underneath.

Height: 35 cm / 13.77”

Width: 49 cm / 19.29”

Electricity: 2 bulbs E27, 2 x 75 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred. For this setup 2 spot light bulbs were used and also a combination of a silver cup light bulb with a spot light bulb. 

Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Ezio Didone in 1969.

Manufacturer: Valenti, Milan, Italy.

Other versions: This rise & fall Pillola spotlight pendant lamp was first designed as a wall lamp in 1968. It is named Squadra (team). This Pillola (pill) pendant lamp is a rare version. The first design is in metal. It is probably not a copy. The canopy is a typical Valenti one.

The date on the Rolly rise and fall mechanism says: 1972. Rolly is an Italian company that produced rise & fall mechanisms for many lamp producers around the world in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s.

Remnants of a label are present in the chromed metal canopy, unfortunately it is unreadable. Is it a Valenti or Ecolight label, I don’t know. Almost similar labels were used.

Ezio Didone

Architect Ezio Didone was born August 21, 1939 in Milan, Italy. He graduated in architecture at the Milan Polytechnic (Politecnico di Milano) in 1967, with a thesis on Industrial Design.

His first years of professional activity were at the architect Frattini’s office. In 1970 he opened his own studio in Milan, dealing with Industrial Design, advertising graphics and architecture. From 1971 to 1975 he was part of the DAM group (Designers Associati Milano) with Studio G.14 and architect Colombi.

He designed lamps, handles, decorative objects, household items, cutlery, chairs, tables, furniture, fabrics, electronic products, technical lamps and so on. 

Ezio Didone received many awards, among others a design award for the Diva lamp produced by Arteluce (Flos) in 1987.

Valenti

Valenti was founded in Milan in 1929 as a metalworking company.  It became one of the most important companies of the Italian design movement under the leadership of the brothers Diego and Renzo Phigi.

Famous lighting produced by Valenti: Medusa floor and table lamp, design Olaf Von Bohr in 1968. The Pistillo flush mount, design Studio Tetrarch in 1969. The Hebi lamp series, design Isao Hosoe in 1969. The Medusa lamp was also sold under the Ecolight label.

Ecolight was a brand of the Valenti company. Ecolight was born in 1968. Many lamps were sold as Valenti and also as Ecolight. This Pillola lamp was sold under both names. Ditto for the Squadra wall lamp. The business was run by Carla and Laura, the daughters of Renzo.

In 2013, SP light and Design was born from the desire of Carla and her husband Luciano to pursue the family business, joined by their eldest daughter, Eleonora.

SP light and Design still sells some of their design icons such as the Pistillo and Pistillino wall lamps and the Medusa floor lamp.

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