Triangular Antenna Desk Lamp

Materials: 2 white-cream-ochre plastic triangular pyramids.  Rubber feet. 2 telescopic extendable chromed brass antenna rods. Aluminium reflector. Red plastic switch. Built-in transformer 220 – 12 volt. Porcelain G4-socket.

Max Height: 57 cm / 17.32”

Min Height: 9,5 cm / 3.74”

Lampshade: 6,8 x 6.8 cm / 2.67 x 2.67”

Base: 10 x 6,5 cm / 3.93 x 2.55”

Electricity: 1 bulb G4, 1 x 20 watt, 12 volt maximum, 220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used, not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1980s, 1990s.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Made in China, sold by Trendlight, IKEA, Brilliant AG, …

Model:  This Triangular antenna desk lamp was sold by IKEA as model B703. Trendlight sold it as model 8906. There is a small difference. The lampshade of the IKEA lamp is 1 cm (0,39”) smaller, as you can see on the left. The white lamp is IKEA. The IKEA lamp also exists with a black label and white text. Brillant AG also sold this lamp, the model number is faded, unfortunately.

In all probability, these lamps were all made by Fuder Lighting Co.,Ltd., a company founded in Taiwan, but today located in China.

Telescopic lamps were already in production since the early 1960s. Fine examples are the LamPetit Table Lamp or the Taki Light Iris Table Lamp. 

Telescopic desk lamps like this one start appearing in the 80s. This desk lamp is sold by the company Trendlight. No information to be found. In The Netherlands there was a company active under that name, but it was only from 2008 until 2017.

IKEA

IKEA, formerly known by its full initials, Ingvar Kamprad Elmtaryd Agunnaryd, is a multinational group, headquartered in Delft, The Netherlands. The company wast founded in Älmhult, Sweden in 1943 by then-17-year-old Ingvar Kamprad (30 March 1926 – 27 January 2018)

The first real shop in Sweden opened in 1958. In 1963 and 1969 the first shops opened in Norway and Denmark. In 1973 Switzerland, Germany and Japan. Other countries followed rapidly. In the Benelux (Belgium, The Netherlands and Luxembourg) the first shops started business in 1978 (Sliedrecht, The Netherlands) and in 1984 in Zaventem and Ternat (Belgium).

This lamp is an early version of these type of lamps. Angular lamps are typical 80s. For the convenience they are commonly called Memphis lamps, after the designs from that period by designers from the Mempis Group. This desk lamp is probably produced in China. Telescopic/folding lamps are still in production.

For the telescopic arms two chromed brass tubes are used. Made in the same way antennas for portable radios are/were made.

Brilliant 

Brilliant AG was founded in 1951 as Brillantglashütte oHG / Lippold and Tschammer in Gnarrenburg, Germany as a glass making company. In 1953, the glass-works started to produce bar pendant bowls out of glass. These lamp fittings were the first step towards the exclusive production of lighting fixtures.

In 1970, the facility for industrial glass had to be sold in order to create more space. At the end of the 70s, the name Brillantglashütte KG had been changed into Brillantleuchten AG. In 1991, the company name was changed for the last time. The German word “leuchten” (lights) has been deleted and a second “i” has been added to the final version Brilliant AG.

In 2000, the American Sli Inc. became the new main shareholder. Since 2004, the British “The National Lighting Company” has been the new main shareholder of Brilliant AG.