Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce Rare Pair of Table Lamps

Angelo Lelii for Arredoluce, pair of table lamps, model '12398', enameled aluminum, brass, Italy, circa 1952

Arredoluce captures it perfectly: “One of Lelii's many inventions that plays with kinematics, drawing forms from art: even in the cutouts and shapes, the product is never banal.” These table lamps bear the unmistakable signature of Angelo Lelii. Two curved aluminum segments, finished in black and beige, rotate to let the user modulate how much light seeps through the gaps, creating soft, organic patterns that contrast beautifully with the mechanical precision of the structure. Completing the composition, a polished brass base with three elegantly curved legs extends outward, adding a final touch of grace and balance.

Paolo Angelo Lelii (1911-1979) was born in Ancona, Italy. After his studies at the Superior Institute of Industrial Art, Milan, he lived and worked in Monza. From 1943, Lelii started manufacturing lamps in his own house and in 1946 he advertised his well-known 'Tris' lamp in Domus magazine. It was in 1947 that he founded Arredoluce in Monza, a premier manufacturer of furniture and lighting. In the same year, he exhibited the lamp 12128 at the VII Triennale di Milano, which became known as the Triennale floor lamp. He became an influential designer in Postwar Italy, especially in the field of modern lighting design. During the 1950s, Arredoluce started to collaborate with designers such as Franco Albini, Achille Castiglioni, Gio Ponti, and Ettore Sottsass and also began to experiment with halogen light bulbs for his designs, which lead to the recognizable Arredoluce switch. Thanks to Angelo Lelii’s unique approach to design, Arredoluce quickly built a reputation for creating premium quality products based on clean, simple, and functional designs.