Table Lamp ‘Tikal 1555’ By Pier Giuseppe Ramella For Arteluce, Italy 1980s

Table lamp 'Tikal 1555' by Pier Giuseppe Ramella for Arteluce.Did the designer Pier Giuseppe Ramella want to make an abstract reference to the Mayan city of Tikal with this lamp? The name of this beautiful object at least suggests it.The shape of the cut glass appeals to an headdress or a halo that sometimes arises as an optical phenomenon around the sun. Two centimeters from the edge of the glass, the sandblasted part begins, which diffuses the light through the matt surface.On both sides of the glass, a round plastic shade, each with three ribs on the outer edge, covers the light source. One side of the glass is covered with a creamy white shade while the other side is adorned with a light gray one. This item is full of deeper abstract references expressed through form and the Mayan culture is obviously used as the preffered vehicle. When it is dark and the lamp is lit, the white cap symbolizes the sun and the gray cap the solar eclipse. On a functional level the grey cap is a constant dimmed version while the other side shows a bright light.The special thing about this lamp is that it can rotate 360 degrees on its axis due to the rotating metal plate. The light source is located exactly in the middle of the recessed glass. The condition of the lamp is very good and bears the Arteluce label on the bottom of the foot."