Napako was initially established in 1919 in Prague with the purpose of helping private companies with metalworking solutions for building projects. The Czech manufacturer later pivoted to producing appliances and lighting, a change that yielded partnerships with esteemed designers such as electrician and furniture maker Josef Hurka and Miroslav Prokop between the 1930s and 1970s.
Napako’s chrome-plated desk lamps and flush mounts were often characterized by the influence of the Bauhaus, a progressive German design school that promoted a union of art, craft and technology. Many of the brand’s interesting lighting fixtures incorporated milk glass and opaline glass and later featured venturesome forms and lacquered metal housings in lively Pop art colors. Today vintage Napako table lamps, floor lamps and chandeliers are rare and highly collectible works of Space Age and mid-century modernist ingenuity.
Hurka and Helena Frantová were the superstars on Napako’s roster of designers. Initially an electrical appliance designer, Hurka changed course to work on lighting design after Napako discontinued its production of appliances.
For much of the 20th century, industrial and furniture designers in the Eastern Bloc created their work in near anonymity — including in the former Czechoslovakia, where communist ideologies ran counter to capitalist ideas like branding and acclaim.
Although for a brief and shining moment, in 1958, the country’s designers gained global renown when Czechoslovakia won best national pavilion at the Brussels World’s Fair, their artistry was soon shrouded again behind the Iron Curtain.
Hurka’s table lamps for Napako were presented as part of the prize-winning Czech Pavilion at the 1958 World Expo in Brussels, which was the first World’s Fair after World War II. Frantová frequently created torch-shaped table lamps with spindly bodies in chromed steel or brass for the likes of Okolo as well as Napako.
On 1stDibs, find a collection of Napako lighting.
Midcentury Work Adjustable Table Lamp Designed by Josef Hůrka for Napako, 1960
By Napako
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of lacquered metal - Re-polished - Fully functional - Good, original condition.
Metal
Mid-Century Table Lamp Designed by Josef Hurka for Napako, 1960's
Located in Praha, CZ
Made in Czechoslovakia Made of Lacquered metal, chrome 1x75W, E27 or E26 bulb Re-polished Original condition US adapter included.
Metal
Midcentury Design Table Lamp by Josef Hurka, 1960s
By Josef Hurka, Napako
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1960s - Czechoslovakia - Adjustable - Good original condition, newly wired - Polished.
Metal
Mid-Century Table Lamp Designed by Josef Hurka for Napako, 1970's
By Josef Hurka
Located in Praha, CZ
Made in Czechoslovakia Made of Lacquered metal, chrome 1xE27 or E26 bulb Re-polished Fully functional Good original condition US adapter included.
Steel
Midcentury Table Lamp Designed by J. Hurka, 1970s
By Josef Hurka, Napako
Located in Praha, CZ
- Czechoslovakia - Design: Josef Hurka - Good original condition - Original paper label.
Metal, Chrome
Midcentury Table Lamp or Napako, 1960s
By Napako
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of lacquered metal - Re-polished - Fully functional - Good, original condition.
Metal
Mid-Century German Minimalist Table Lamp from Hala, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Rare table lamp from Hala. A minimalist design. Hard to beat in terms of functionality. The lamp head has a simple spotlight shape and is finished in a dark red colour. It is connec...
Metal
Mid-Century Minimalist Table Lamp, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Minimalist Mid Century table lamp. A very minimalist design in shape and color. The lamp is completely in chrome and black. The respective poles - shade and base - are finished in b...
Metal
Mid-Century Minimalist Model ST30 Table Lamp by Josef Hurka for Kovona, 1960s
By Kovona
Located in Hamburg, DE
Mid-century table lamp by Kovona based on a design by Josef Hurka from the 1960s. Pure minimalism. The most striking detail of this lamp is the base. This consists of a simple tube ...
Metal
Mid-Century Swedish Desk Table Lamp from Ledu, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Architect's lamp from the Swedish manufacturer Ledu in a special color. The Ledu is largely very similar or identical to the classic Luxo L-1, Jac Jacobsen's design classic from 193...
Metal
Mid-Century German Table Lamp, 1960s
Located in Hamburg, DE
Very rare mid century desk lamp. Probably from Kaiser from the 50s/60s. The lamp convinces with its elegant design language and materiality. A wide -out arm that is kept flexibly in...
Metal
Mid-Century German Minimalist Table Lamp from Hala
Located in Hamburg, DE
Rare table lamp by Hala. A minimalist design. Hardly to be surpassed in functionality. The lamp head is a simple cylinder that widens slightly towards the front. It is connected to...
Metal
