Giovanni Banci Table Lamp for Banci Firenze · Aluminum and Brass · Italy, 1970s

Banci Firenze is one of the most traditional names in Italian lighting art. Founded in 1899 by Giuseppe Banci in the Florentine district of Oltrarno as a workshop for the restoration of glass, crystal and iron chandeliers, the company developed over four generations into a manufacturer of high-quality lighting and furniture. In the 1970s, Banci expanded its repertoire to include pieces with mid-century modernist and Art Deco influences — a phase to which this table lamp is attributed and in which individual family members, including Giovanni Banci, contributed independent designs. The manufactory is one of the few Italian lighting designers whose pieces are regularly auctioned at Sotheby's.

This lamp is an idiosyncratic work from this creative period: a massive aluminum metal block, from which a cylindrical opening was milled out and fitted with a decorative brass ring. The combination of matt shimmering aluminum and warmly framed brass creates a noticeable material contrast and gives the object its sculptural, almost brutalist presence. Despite its compact size, the lamp is unusually heavy — a direct indication of the material density and the uncompromising manufacturing quality of Banci Firenze. On the base, the piece bears the original, chrome-colored Banci label with the initials "BF" and is thus unmistakably attributed to the Florentine manufactory.

The lamp takes an E27 bulb; LED bulbs are possible. It is suitable for voltages between 100 and 220 volts and can therefore be used internationally. The included lampshade with a snake pattern is probably not the original, but a later addition — however, it sets a suitable graphic accent to the minimalist metal body and can be easily replaced at any time if different living preferences exist.

Good to very good condition without damage. A rare designer lamp for collectors of Florentine lighting art and anyone looking for a unique Mid-Century statement with manufacturing provenance.

Dimensions: Height 40 cm · Diameter with shade 30 cm · E27 socket · 100–220 V