Sergio Asti FontanaArte Daruma Table Lamp

Materials: White opal polished hand blown open glass globe base. Half round opal glass lampshade. Some metal parts. White Bakelite E27 socket.

Height: 24 cm / 9.05”

Width: ∅ 23 cm / 4.72”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, but an opal one is preferred.

Period: 1960s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: Sergio Asti in 1968.

Manufacturer: Candle – FontanaArte S.p.A., Alzaia Trieste, 49, 20094 Corsico, near Milan, Italy.

Other versions: This Sergio Asti FontanaArte Daruma table lamp exists in 6 sizes, as you can see below in the catalogue picture. These table lamps are still for sale. You can order them via the FontanaArte website.

Sergio Asti

Sergio Asti was born in Milan, Italy in 1926. He studied at the same school as Gae Aulenti, the Politecnico di Milano (Milan School of Architecture of the Polytechnic University). After graduating in Architecture in 1953, he spent five years as Assistant Professor of Interior Design. He is one of the founders of the ADI, the Associazione per il Disegno Industriale (Association for Industrial Design).

Many objects designed by Sergio Asti are present in the collections of the most important museums around the world and he received numerous awards.

He designed lamps for Artemide, Candle, FontanaArte, Raak, Knoll International, Arteluce, Kartell, Bilumen, C.I.L. Roma, Poltronova, Martinelli Luce and several others.

FontanaArte

FontanaArte was founded in Milan in 1932 by Luigi Fontana and Giò Ponti (1891 – 1979). The company is known for the processing of curved glass and for the production of lighting equipment, becoming over the years a prominent name for Italian design.

Giò Ponti invites Pietro Chiesa (1892 – 1942) to join him in the art direction. Chiesa is a distinguished glass master who enlists the craftsmen from his own workshop to join him to the company. Gio Ponti designed the 0024 pendant lamp and the Bilia table lamp in 1931.

Pietro Chiesa’s most famous lamp at that time is the Luminator, designed in 1933, in 1937 the 006.

In 1954, Max Ingrand, a French glass master and decorator, renowned for his stunning stained-glass church windows, becomes the art director. He designed the Fontana table lamp.

Gio Ponti becomes again art director in 1967 and he designs a new collection of lamps, the Pirellina and Pirellone table lamps.

Gae Aulenti becomes the art director in 1979. Her first move is to makeover the collection. She is flanked by Piero Castiglioni, Pierluigi Cerri, Daniela Puppa and Franco Raggi. The Parola table lamp is born in 1980.

In 1993 FontanaArte acquires Candle, another Italian lighting brand.

The list of designers that worked for the company is infinite. You can find the majority over here on the FontanaArte website.