Pair of "Hebi" (Snake) Table / Desk Lamps by Isao Hosoe for Valenti Luce, Milan, Italy Circa 1970s

Details

Description

This matching pair of table lamps exemplifies late-20th-century Italian radical design through its playful anthropomorphic silhouette and brilliant pop-art color … Read more This matching pair of table lamps exemplifies late-20th-century Italian radical design through its playful anthropomorphic silhouette and brilliant pop-art color palette. Each lamp features a highly flexible, segmented gooseneck arm wrapped in a ribbed, vibrant yellow polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheath. This malleable spine serves simultaneously as the support structure and the base, allowing the user to endlessly manipulate the form into coiled, kinetic shapes reminiscent of a serpent.

The arm terminates in a globular, rotatable enameled aluminum shade. The back of the spherical housing is punctuated by a diamond-patterned grid of circular ventilation perforations, balancing functional heat dissipation with clean geometric styling.

Designed by the Tokyo-born engineer and designer Isao Hosoe shortly after his relocation to Milan, the Hebi lamp (named after the Japanese word for snake) represents a seminal departure from rigid architectural lighting. By removing the traditional weighted base, Hosoe transformed a utilitarian object into a tactile, interactive sculpture. The design was celebrated globally for its democratic use of industrial plastics and ingenuity, earning a place in the permanent design collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York.

Condition and Components
Wiring & Controls: Each unit retains its original two-prong power plug and a black inline rocker switch fitted with a contrasting red toggle mechanism.

Material Integrity: The corrugated yellow PVC casing shows excellent structural preservation, retaining consistent coloration and flexibility across both pieces. See less