Tripod Cocoon Floor Lamp

Materials: 3 black painted metal rods base. Brass connector, rod on top. Globe lampshade made of metal (iron) wire and plastic “Cocoon” sprayed around it. Bakelite E27 socket.

Height: 120 cm / 47.24”

Lampshade: ∅ 40 cm / 15.74”

Electricity: 1 bulb E27, 1 x 60 watt maximum, 110/220 volt.
Any type of light bulb can be used. Not a specific one preferred.

Period: 1970s – Mid-Century Modern.

Designer: To be appraised.

Manufacturer: Aro-Leuchte(n) GmbH, Arnold Licht GmbH, Gelsenkirchener Strasse 5, 46325 Borken, Germany.

Other versions: This tripod cocoon floor lamp was made in several varieties. Sold with smaller en bigger globes. All made with the same tripod base. The tripod was used for many other lamps. An example can be found here.

Often said that this lamp is made by FLOS and designed by Achille & Pier Giacomo Castiglioni, but those are false assumptions. Most of the time the Aro Leuchte label is glued on the base. It is possible that the Cocoon globe was produced by Cocoon Leuchten International, another German company. In any case, not by FLOS. More info about Cocoon Leuchten International and the history of the Cocoon material can be found over here.

The first one who used Cocoon is George Nelson in 1947 for his Bubble Hanging Lamps. The technique had been developed for mothballing naval ships. George Nelson referred to these lamps as “one of those happy accidents which occur all too infrequently in the designer’s experience”.

Aro-Leuchten

Aro-Leuchten GmbH was founded in 1969 as a family business. It ended business in 2006. Not much to be found about the company. The website is offline. The url was www.aro-leuchten.de. Matthias Arnold was the managing director. The company produced many lamps made of acrylic. They are all inspired by existing lamps made of glass. You can find several examples here on Vintageinfo.