Details
Description
Color as Voice, Material as Meaning. Step into a landmark moment in postmodern design with this Capodanno table lamp—an object …
Read more
Color as Voice, Material as Meaning. Step into a landmark moment in postmodern design with this Capodanno table lamp—an object that marks Ettore Sottsass’s decisive break from the austere functionalism of his Rationalist upbringing and his embrace of design as pure expression and symbol.
An Archetypal Gesture in Light and Form
At just 43 × 47 × 13 cm (17 1/4 × 18 1/2 × 5 1/8 in.), Capodanno is architecture reduced to its most elemental grammar: two brass cylinders (the “towers”) linked by a plain fluorescent rod (the “span”), all rising from a pedestal-like plinth. In Sottsass’s hands this becomes an archetype—evoking a city gate or even London’s Tower Bridge—yet the materials refuse to behave as architecture: the base wears a faux-stone laminate, the posts gleam in brass (structurally impossible at scale), and the beam remains gloriously mundane in its fluorescent banality .
Color as Voice, Material as Meaning
Where Modernism preached “form follows function,” Capodanno proclaims “material speaks louder than form.” The red and blue glass globes perched atop each column read both Bauhaus and circus‑clown, oscillating between high design and playful irreverence. The stone‑patterned base elevates the lamp—literally like a pedestal—but undercuts that elevation by revealing its laminate artifice. This deliberate tension—between elevated form and cheap surface, between industrial standard and exotic color—is precisely what makes Capodanno a manifesto of Alchimia’s alchemical ethos: the whole exceeds the sum of its unlikely parts .
A Pivotal Postmodern Artifact
Cast in a strictly limited edition (this example is No. 71), Capodanno sits at the very threshold of Sottsass’s work with Memphis and the broader Postmodern moment. It is simultaneously a lamp, an architectural model, a sculpture, and a stage set—an object that liberated design from utility alone and introduced narrative, irony, and symbolism into everyday life.
Condition: Very good.
IComes complete with a set of vintage replacement bulbs.
Dimensions: 43 × 47 × 13 cm (17 1/4 × 18 1/2 × 5 1/8 in.)
This design is recognized by the world’s leading institutions:
The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York
Museum of Fine Arts, Houston (Dennis Freedman Collection)
Museum Boijmans van Beuningen Rotterdam
Own a singular milestone in design history: a lamp that laid the foundations for Postmodernism itself, now ready to illuminate your collection.
Colors may slightly vary due to photographic lighting sources or your monitor settings.
Wear consistent with age and use.
This piece has an attribution mark,
I am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution,
European Plug (up to 250V).The wiring of this item may be original and might need replacement, if not specified otherwise.
See less
- Dimensions
- 18.5ʺW × 5.12ʺD × 16.93ʺL
- Styles
- Postmodern
- Designer
- Ettore Sottsass
- Period
- 1970s
- Country of Origin
- Italy
- Item Type
- Vintage, Antique or Pre-owned
- Materials
- Brass
- Glass
- Condition
- Good Condition, Unknown, Some Imperfections
- Color
- Blue
- Condition Notes
- Very Good — This vintage item has no defects, but it may show slight traces of use. Very Good — This vintage item has no defects, but it may show slight traces of use. less
Returns & Cancellations
Return Policy - All sales are final 48 hours after delivery, unless otherwise specified in the description of the product.
Related Collections
- Ralph Lauren Home Table Lamps
- Marge Carson Table Lamps
- Green Glass Table Lamps
- Hermès Table Lamps
- Pewter Finish Table Lamps
- Embossed Leather Table Lamps
- Lava Table Lamps
- Vivai del Sud Table Lamps
- Etruscan Revival Table Lamps
- Borghese Table Lamps
- Hollywood at Home Table Lamps
- Worcester Porcelain Table Lamps
- Kalmar Lighting Table Lamps
- Deruta Table Lamps
- Greta Von Nessen Table Lamps
- Lyngby Porcelain Table Lamps
- Fratelli Fanciullacci Table Lamps
- Arzbeg Porcelain Table Lamps
- Lamps by Hilliard Table Lamps
- Hilliard Lamps Table Lamps
- Gucci Table Lamps
- Pax Lighting Table Lamps
- Hans Wegner Table Lamps
- Christian Dior Table Lamps
- Polished Gold Finish Table Lamps