Franco Albini - Design Evening New York Tuesday, December 12, 2017 | Phillips

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  • Literature

    "Lamps in a Milan Shop," Interiors and Industrial Design, November 1948, p. 115
    Custom-Built: The Concept of Unique in Italian Design, exh. cat., Triennale di Milano, Milan, 2003, pp. 37-38 for images and a drawing
    Federico Bucci and Fulvio Irace, eds., Zero Gravity: Franco Albini Costruire le Modernità, exh. cat., Palazzo della Triennale, 2006, pp. 123, 265, for an image and a drawing
    Giampiero Bosoni and Federico Bucci, Il Design e gli Interni di Franco Albini, Milan, 2009, pp. 65-66, 89, for variant models, p. 125 for a drawing
    Giampiero Bosoni, ed., Franco Albini, Milan, 2011, pp. 42-43 for an image and a drawing

  • Catalogue Essay

    In the late 1930s, Franco Albini began to consider the notion of variation in his designs of "Mitragliera" floor lamps. In the genesis and evolution of the design, Albini conceived models with a variety of materials and constructive details in a persistent search for new artistic realizations. The configuration of the lamp recalls the form of a classic tripod machine gun: the legs angled out, taking aim with the lampshade located at the end of the barrel. In the process, Albini aspired for his designs to fit seamlessly into the rise of a culture based on mass production.

    In addition to his own designs, Sarfatti would also execute designs he admired by friends and colleagues. In 1948, he based the present design on a floor lamp that Albini had designed for his apartment at via De Togni, Milan, in 1938. This production, likely by Arteluce and believed to number fewer than ten, is distinguished by its telescopic function. Subsequent productions had a fabric shade rather than aluminum and were not adjustable. In its various forms, the “Mitragliera” lamps capture Albini’s innovative and inspiring approach.

203

Rare “Mitragliera” floor lamp

circa 1948
Walnut, painted aluminum, brass, painted steel.
As shown: 41 3/4 in. (106 cm) high
Likely executed by Arteluce, Milan, Italy. Together with a certificate of authenticity from the Fondazione Franco Albini.

Estimate
$35,000 - 45,000 

Sold for $52,500

Contact Specialist
Cordelia Lembo
Specialist, Head of Sale
+1 212 940 1265

Design Evening

New York Auction 12 December 2017