Gino Sarfatti Moon Lamp

The Moon Lamp was designed by Gino Sarfatti for Arteluce Italy in 1969. Gino Sarfatti created two versions; the table lamp (Arteluce model no. 604) and the pendant lamp (Arteluce model no. 2130). This lamp consists of painted perforated metal with a translucent plastic dome. Gino Sarfatti's Moon Lamp, with a scattering of micro-bulbs like lunar craters, is an icon of Italian lighting design, and a fine example of "Space Age Design". Gino Sarfatti was born in Venice in 1912. With an educational background in engineering he started the Arteluce Company in 1939.

Arteluce quickly established itself as a leading actor in shaping the modern Italian architectural movement, and became a meeting place and hub for many of the leading Italian mid-century designers, including Franco Albini, Gianfranco Frattini, Sergio Asti and Ico Parisi. Sarfatti designed over 400 lighting products and made a significant contribution to innovating lighting design by experimenting with new materials, production methodologies and light sources. In 1951, he first began to work with plexi-glass. Gino Sarfatti designed the first lamp to use halogen bulbs back in 1971. Sarfatti and Arteluce received several design awards including the prestigious Compasso d’Oro in 1954 and 1955, and the Honorary Diploma at the Milan Triennale. Arteluce was sold to Flos in 1973. Unfortunately, most of these classic icons were never put in production again by Flos.

Gino Sarfatti's Moon Lamp is documented in: Giuliana Gramigna, Repertorio 1950/1980, Milan, 1985, p. 301; Fulvio Ferrari and Napoleone Ferrari, Luce: Lampade 1968-1973: il nuovo design italiano, Turin, 2002, p. 57, fig. 77; Charlotte and Peter Fiell, eds., 1000 Lights, Vol. 2: 1960 to Present, Cologne, 2005, p. 163; Galerie Christine Diegoni, Gino Sarfatti, Paris, 2008, p. 125. Image Credits: Galerie BSL.