Ceramic & Opal Glass Table Lamp
Ivan Jakeš
Czechia, 1960s

Description:

A petite, sculptural table lamp with a terracotta base, glazed in a natural beige with a subtle brown speckle, and topped with a mushroom-shaped opal glass shade. 

This table lamp was manufactured by Osvětlovací Sklo during the 1960s and was designed by Czech designer, Ivan Jakeš. This statement table lamp is typical of Jakeš designs produced for the company throughout this period, with its playful proportions. 

The design also evokes the aesthetics of the so-called 'Atomic Era', which began in the mid-1940s and continued to capture the public imagination into the 1960s. 'Atomic Age' design directly responded to advances in nuclear science, particularly in the wake of the atomic bomb, a fatal event which the mushroom-shaped shade of this table lamp either knowingly or unknowingly acknowledges.

Another way in which we might read the shape of this table lamp is in light of the advances in microscopic technology, which exposed designers to a new vocabulary of unique, biomorphic shapes and patterns found within organic substances.

Specifications:

Height: 26cm

Diameter: 23.5cm

Materials: Glazed terracotta, opal glass

Manufacturer: Osvětlovací Sklo

Designer: Ivan Jakeš

Design Period: 1960s