A wonderfully playful two-light floor lamp, produced in Italy during the 1950s and attributed to Stilux, Milan.

The lamp is built around two exceptionally slender black-painted metal stems that rise from a circular white marble base. The stems begin almost together before gradually separating as they rise, one extending slightly higher than the other. A short brass crosspiece connects the two stems around their midpoint and provides a small but effective visual break in an otherwise very linear structure.

At the top are the two original hand-blown coloured glass shades, one orange-red and the other yellow. Their rounded, almost bulb-like forms contrast beautifully with the extremely fine metal supports below. Small brass collars connect each glass shade to its stem and introduce another material without making the construction feel unnecessarily complicated.

For us, it is the proportions that make this lamp work so well. Almost the entire height is made up of two narrow black lines, leaving the coloured glass concentrated right at the top. The slight difference in the height and angle of the stems prevents the composition from becoming too symmetrical and gives the lamp a much more animated appearance.

The shades are equally appealing when the lamp is switched off. The orange-red and yellow glass have strong, saturated colour and a glossy surface, but illumination changes them considerably. The colours become warmer and more diffuse, with the glass glowing from within rather than simply acting as conventional shades.

The construction also makes very good use of contrasting materials. The white marble gives sufficient weight and stability to what is otherwise an extremely delicate structure, while the black-painted metal, aged brass and coloured glass each remain visually distinct.

The lamp is attributed to Stilux, Milan. Although we have been unable to locate documentary evidence for this exact model, we have seen the same distinctive base and stem construction on other Stilux lamps from the period, as well as closely related coloured glass shades used on different Stilux designs. The materials and construction are also consistent with the manufacturer's work of the 1950s. As we have not found another example of this particular configuration, however, we prefer to retain the attribution rather than present the manufacturer as documented.

The lamp retains its original black-painted metalwork, which shows the minor marks and wear expected from its age. The brass collars and central crosspiece have developed a naturally aged patina and have deliberately not been polished back to a bright finish.

The circular white marble base has also been retained in its original condition. There is visible oxidation and discolouration around the point where the metal structure enters the marble and around the switch, together with minor marks associated with age and use. We prefer to retain these signs of age rather than attempt to make the base appear new.

Importantly, both original glass shades remain in excellent condition. Their slightly irregular profiles and subtle differences in form are characteristic of hand-blown glass and become especially apparent when the two are viewed together.

The lamp has been professionally rewired and is ready for use. Overall, it is presented in very good original condition while retaining the surface variation and patina that we would want to see on an Italian lamp of this period.

It is a relatively simple design, but one with a great deal of personality. The combination of the extraordinarily fine black stems and the two brightly coloured glass forms gives the lamp a strong presence without requiring a large or visually heavy structure.

Viewing is warmly welcomed at our West London showroom.

High-resolution photographs, detailed condition reports and video inspections are available upon request.

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Please contact us for further information or to arrange a private viewing.