An elegant chrome and glass floor lamp made in Italy around the middle of the 20th century. The white lacquered stand supports a glass ball which has been entirely realised by hand by the expert glass makers located on the island of Murano in Venice, Italy. The beautiful opalescent glass lamp shade is encased by four decorative chrome metal structures and is reminiscent of the “space age“ movement of the era. Towards the end of the '50s, new technical perspectives combined with an interest in abstract futuristic shapes lead to what is known as Space Age design and this lamp exemplifies this design movement. The USA's confidence in becoming a leader in space flights influenced a vast majority of designers and architects and Space Age furniture was extremely popular in the 1970s.

Space Age design emerged in the early 1950s amidst immense upheaval of the status quo, and sought to illustrate a utopian future in the wake of the second World War. Given that the period was full of exploration in engineering and science, Space Age designers also sought to evolve their given fields and push boundaries farther than ever before.

The Space Age was a universal concept in design, spanning from fashion to architecture and beyond. The term was first formally coined in 1964, when Pierre Cardin launched his "Space Age" line. Other prominent fashion designers from this era included André Courrèges and Paco Rabanne, with iconic designs like the gogo boots being released in the 60s.

A brief history about Murano glassware. Murano became Europe's luxury glassmaking center, peaking in popularity in the 15th and 16th centuries. Venice's dominance in trade along the Mediterranean created a wealthy merchant class that was a strong connoisseur of the arts. This helped establish demand for art glass and more innovations. The spread of glassmaking talent in Europe eventually diminished the importance of Venice and its Murano glassmakers and the occupation and dissolution of the Venetian state by Napoleon Bonapartet in 1797 caused more hardship for Murano's glassmaking industry. Murano glassmaking began a revival in the 1920s. Today, Murano and Venice are tourist attractions, and Murano is home to numerous glass factories and a few individual artists' studios. Its Museo del Vetro (Glass Museum) in the Palazzo Giustinian contains displays on the history of glassmaking as well as glass samples ranging from Egyptian times through the present day.

Condition: overall good vintage condition, please refer to photographs

Dimensions: 150cm high, 50cm diameter