German designer Ingo Maurer (1932–2019) was known as a “poet of light” for how he artfully created table lamps and floor lamps that married form and function, from bulbs that soared on goose-feather wings to chandeliers that suspended bursts of shattered tableware like a slow-motion explosion.
One of Maurer's first lamps, a 1966 design that was merely called Bulb, nested a lightbulb inside a larger glass lightbulb shape, drawing on his connection to German art traditions of reductive forms as well as Pop art and the playful aesthetics of 1960s pop culture. The success of Bulb — its fans included American design icon Charles Eames — led to the founding of his own company to produce this provocative fixture as well as other fantastic lighting designs. Later, for Maurer’s bestselling Uchiwa lamps of the 1970s, the designer found inspiration in Japanese fans made of bamboo and lacquered rice paper.
Born on the island of Reichenau in Lake Constance in southern Germany, Maurer apprenticed at a newspaper before moving to the United States in 1960. In New York and California, Maurer initially worked as a graphic designer for IBM and elsewhere before returning to Germany with his then-wife, designer Dorothee Becker, in 1963. The experience that Maurer gained in typography and bold forms was regularly expressed in the lamps crafted by his company, which was called Design M before the name was changed to Ingo Maurer GmbH. The lighting manufacturer is still based in Munich.
Some of Maurer’s pieces were minimal, such as a ceramic table lamp in 1996 he called Broken Egg, which radiated light from a fissure in an oblong shape, while others were monumental, such as the designer’s last completed installation — a colossal chandelier composed of over 3,000 silver-plated leaves — in Munich’s Residenztheater. Maurer was always at the forefront of lighting innovations, exploring holograms, LEDs and OLEDs in his projects. Through his company, the venturesome Maurer also promoted inventive new designers, including Moritz Waldemeyer, whose My New Flame (2012) imagined a futuristic candle with LEDs.
Ingo Maurer GmbH continues to produce the late designer’s distinctive table lamps, chandeliers and other fixtures, including the imaginative Bulb that started it all.
Find vintage Ingo Maurer Uchiwa lamps and other lighting for sale on 1stDibs.
Table lamp by Angelo Lelli ( Lelii ) for Arredoluce Italy, 1969
By Angelo Lelii, Arredoluce
Located in Renens, CH
Rare Brushed steel "14082" table lamp by Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce Italy This beautiful lamp is the perfect illustration of Angelo Lelli's avant-gardism and attention to detail. ...
Metal
Alain Richard A4 Table Lamp, Ed, Disderot France, 1958
By Alain Richard, Disderot
Located in Renens, CH
Alain Richard A4 Table Lamp, Ed, Disderot France, 1958 Magnificent A4 table lamp by Alain Richard, designed in 1958 for Disderot. It features a brushed steel body with a directional spotlight...
Carrara Marble, Chrome, Metal
Vintage Italian Design Stilnovo Milano Table or Desk Lamp, 1960s
By Stilnovo
Located in Renens, CH
Vintage Italian Design Stilnovo Milano Table or Desk Lamp, 1960s Vintage metal table lamp produced by Stilnovo Italy during the 1960s. Very nice and...
Metal
Stilnovo Milano Table or Desk Lamp, 1960s
By Stilnovo
Located in Renens, CH
Vintage metal table lamp produced by Stilnovo Italy during the 1960s. Very nice and practical desk lamp that doesn’t take any room on the desk space itself, since it has to be clampe...
Metal
Big Table Lamp in Lacquered Metal Attributed to Enrico Tronconi
By Tronconi
Located in Renens, CH
Impressive and well executed table lamp attributed to Italian designer Enrico Tronconi and director of the namesake lighting company. Has also a strong feel of the Oluce designs b...
Metal
Slice Table Lamp by Hans von Klier for Bilumen - 1980s
By Bilumen, Hans Von Klier
Located in Renens, CH
Rare sculptural table lamp by Hans von Klier, designed during the 1980s for Bilumen Italy: This statement piece consists of a conical shaped metal base, supporting a metal sphere on...
Metal
Ingo Maurer 'Fukushu' Table Lamp & Original Box, 1980 Germany
By Design M, Ingo Maurer
Located in The Hague, NL
'My perception of light is so strong and distinctive, almost an obsession. This forces me to continuously play and experiment with the reflection and the art of light.' Ingo Maurer ...
Steel, Nickel
Italian Table Lamp by Aldo Nason for Mazzega, 1970s
By Mazzega, Aldo Nason
Located in Beirut, LB
Table lamp by Aldo Nason, with 2 light sources, made from double-layer Murano blown glass, can be used as a table lamp or floor lamp. This version with a handle is unique of its so...
Steel
Synthesis Table Lamp by Ernesto Gismondi for Artemide, 1970s
By Ernesto Gismondi
Located in toronto, CA
Italian designer and engineer Ernesto Gismondi is widely recognized for his significant contributions to the field of Italian lighting design through his involvement with Artemide, a renowned lighting company that he co-founded in 1960. Gismondi, born in 1931 in San Remo, pursued his academic studies in Aeronautical Engineering at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He successfully completed his degree in 1957 and further expanded his knowledge by obtaining a second degree in Missile Engineering from the Professional School of Engineering in Rome in 1959. In collaboration with engineer and designer Sergio Mazza, who was born in Milan in 1931, Gismondi established Artemide with the vision of creating timeless and technologically innovative products. As the co-founders, they both played instrumental roles in shaping Artemide's evolving product lines over the following decades. They also led the company's mission to develop unique and architecturally-inspired lamps, pendants, and other fixtures by collaborating with prominent design talents from across the globe. Notable among Gismondi's designs for Artemide are the Sintesi Series (1976), encompassing table lamps, floor lamps, clamp lamps, and sconces, along with the Tholos Wall Lamp (1979), the Tebe Floor Lamp (1970s), and the Zen Floor Lamp...
Aluminum, Steel
Vintage table lamp by Angelo Lelli for Lightolier, 1970s
By Angelo Lelii, Lightolier
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Space age table lamp designed by Angelo Lelli for Lightolier feautiring a white metal tube and a fine chromed base. The lamp can be adjusted in many ways. tested and ready for use ...
Metal, Chrome
Midcentury Table Lamp by Josef Hurka for Lidokov, 1970s
By Josef Hurka
Located in Praha, CZ
Rare type of table lamp by Lidokov Good original condition. 1x25W, E25-E27 bulb US wiring compatible including US adapter.
Metal
Vintage Table Lamp by Sacha Ketoff for Aluminor, France, 1980s
By Aluminor
Located in Hamburg, DE
Rare, postmodern table lamp from the French manufacturer Aluminor based on a design by Sacha Ketoff from the 80s. This design was created in a competition as part of the exhibition "...
Metal
