Nickel-Plated Metal and Murano Milk Glass Table Lamps attributed to Mazzega, 1965, Set of 2

Original and peculiar pair of table lamps; the structure consists of a round nickel-plated metal base covered by plastic support on which the switch is housed, above this base, off-center, is fixed a round frame, also made of nickel-plated metal, inside it, we find the connection for the one large bulb and it is on this frame that the glass sphere is put to cover the light point, which can be solidly stopped with three screws placed on the edge of the frame and on the bottom of it there are four ventilation holes for cooling. The offset of the two metal parts is very original and gives the lamp an aesthetically valuable movement. The spheres of the pair are made of handcrafted white blown lattimo sfumato glass, and at the top, they have a beautiful and distinctive hollow pattern whose center is a bright orange color. When lit, the shaded lattimo glass is expressed in all its particular beauty, and wonderful golden reflections emanate from the workmanship of the top.

We can attribute them with good certainty to the Mazzega company of Murano, which often used these kinds of material color combinations in its enchanting works. The Mazzega company was founded in Murano in 1946 and began production at the highest level, destined for a high and exigent market; between the '50s and '70s was the creator of a profound artistic and conceptual renewal in the field of art glass in Murano; is of that period the collaboration with the elite of the 20th-century European art world: from Marc Chagall to Pablo Picasso, from Giò Ponti to George Braque and Jean Cocteau, from Fulvio Bianconi to Carlo Scarpa. from that time until today the Mazzega glassworks welcomes in its prestigious collections the best that is produced in Murano, its works enhance elegant environments all over the world. Lattimo, whose name originates from the word "latte," is an opaque white glass, the invention is dated to about 1450 in Murano with the aim of imitating Chinese porcelain that arrived in Venice, using lead lime and tin as opacifiers.

These crystals are all the more homogeneous the higher the concentration of zinc oxide in the mixture. This type of glass is widely used in Murano, in giftware but especially in lighting because of its ability to diffuse light softly and evenly. Measures diameter cm.20, height cm.21. The lamps are in good condition. The electrical system is working but the wiring is European, the compatibility of the voltage in other countries must always be checked by an electrician before use.