He died tragically young, and his career as a designer lasted little more than 10 years. But through the 1960s, Joe Colombo proved himself one of the field’s most provocative and original thinkers, and he produced a remarkably large array of innovative chairs, table lamps and other lighting and furniture as well as product designs. Even today, the creations of Joe Colombo have the power to surprise.
Cesare “Joe” Colombo was born in Milan, the son of an electrical-components manufacturer. He was a creative child — he loved to build huge structures from Meccano pieces — and in college he studied painting and sculpture before switching to architecture.
In the early 1950s, Colombo made and exhibited paintings and sculptures as part of an art movement that responded to the new Nuclear Age, and futuristic thinking would inform his entire career. He took up design not long after his father fell ill in 1958, and he and his brother, Gianni, were called upon to run the family company.
Colombo expanded the business to include the making of plastics — a primary material in almost all his later designs. One of his first, made in collaboration with his brother, was the Acrilica table lamp (1962), composed of a wave-shaped piece of clear acrylic resin that diffused light cast by a bulb concealed in the lamp’s metal base. A year later, Colombo produced his best-known furniture design, the Elda armchair (1963): a modernist wingback chair with a womb-like plastic frame upholstered in thick leather pads.
Portability and adaptability were keynotes of many Colombo designs, made for a more mobile society in which people would take their living environments with them. One of his most striking pieces is the Tube chair (1969). It comprises four foam-padded plastic cylinders that fit inside one another. The components, which are held together by metal clips, can be configured in a variety of seating shapes (his Additional Living System seating is similarly versatile).
Vintage Tube chairs generally sell for about $9,000 in good condition; Elda chairs for about $7,000. A small Colombo design such as the plastic Boby trolley — an office organizer on wheels, designed in 1970 — is priced in the range of $700.
As Colombo intended, his designs are best suited to a modern decor. If your tastes run to sleek, glossy Space Age looks, the work of Joe Colombo offers you a myriad of choices.
Find vintage Joe Colombo lamps, seating and other furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Joe Colombo, Table Lamp, Acrylic, Italy, 1960s
By Kartell, Joe Colombo
Located in High Point, NC
A white and orange acrylic table lamp designed by Joe Colombo and produced by Kartell, Italy, c. 1960s. Overall Dimensions (inches): 5.6” H x 4.6” Diameter Bulb Specifications: E-1...
Acrylic
$1,783
H 11.82 in W 7.09 in D 7.09 in
1970 Nitia Rodolfo Bonetto Harvey I Guzzini Italian Design Table Lamp
By iGuzzini, Rodolfo Bonetto
Located in Brescia, IT
Rodolfo Bonetto table lamp. Red acrylic base. Clear rotatable round acrylic lampshade on top. Metal round lid, perforated with 12 round holes. E14 socket. Excellent condiction Per...
Plastic
$3,566
H 20.87 in W 17.72 in D 18.51 in
Italian Mid-Century Plastic Metal Table Lamp Alvise Luigi Massoni Guzzini, 1960s
By Guzzini, Luigi Massoni
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century Plastic and metal Table lamp mod. Alvise by Luigi Massoni for Guzzini, 1960s Table lamp mod. Alvise with round base in white-beige painted metal. The lampshade, c...
Metal
$1,142Sale Price|20% Off
H 11.42 in Dm 7.29 in
Rodolfo Bonetto "Nitia" table lamp for Design House Guzzini Italy 1970s
By Guzzini, Rodolfo Bonetto
Located in BARCELONA, ES
Illuminate your space with the avant-garde charm of the Rodolfo Bonetto "Nitia" table lamp, a timeless masterpiece crafted for Design House Guzzini in Italy during the 1970s. This la...
Chrome
KD29 Table Lamp by Joe Colombo for Kartell, Italy, 1967
By Joe Colombo
Located in Tel Aviv-Yafo, Tel Aviv District
Designed in 1967 by Joe Colombo for Kartell, the KD29 table lamp is a quintessential icon of Italian Space Age design. The lamp features a glowing hemispherical acrylic shade suspend...
Acrylic, Wood
LT226 table lamp by Carlo Nason for Mazzega, 1960s
By Carlo Nason, Mazzega
Located in bruxelles, BE
Murano glass lamp by Carlo Nason for Mazzega. Model LT226. The center of the lamp can be used as a vase for flowers. Stamped Mazzega. Wear due to time and age. FOR SHIPPING, REQUEST...
Murano Glass
$1,426
H 9.85 in W 6.3 in D 6.3 in
Longobarda Ceramic Table Lamp by Marcello Cuneo for Gabbianelli 1966 Italy
By Marcello Cuneo, Gabbianelli
Located in Lisboa, PT
A bold and playful expression of Italian radical design, the Longobarda Table Lamp was created by Marcello Cuneo for Gabbianelli in 1966. Sculptural and instantly iconic, this ceramic lamp captures the spirit of the 1960s with its futuristic form, saturated color, and pop sensibility. Crafted in glazed ceramic and finished in a vivid high-gloss orange, the lamp’s fluid, monolithic silhouette is as much a light source as it is a piece of art. Its arched top curves into a flowing base, concealing the bulb and directing a warm, glowing light downward and outward — creating a dramatic effect whether lit or not. The lamp’s pure form is uninterrupted by visible seams or switches, with a hidden on/off mechanism and internal bulb placement that enhance its sculptural integrity. This particular example is in very good vintage condition, and was professionally rewired some years ago to ensure safe and functional use. Marcello Cuneo, a former collaborator of Gio Ponti, designed the Longobarda as a radical departure from traditional lighting — its silhouette evoking both ancient helmets...
Ceramic
Joe Colombo KD 28 Table Lamp
By Joe Colombo
Located in MADRID, ES
The KD 28 lamp, designed by renowned Italian designer Joe Colombo for Italian lighting manufacturer Kartell, debuted in 1967 in a bold red shade. Its ABS plastic...
Plastic
Mid-Century German Space Age Table Lamp from Kaiser Idell, 1960s
By Kaiser Leuchten
Located in Hamburg, DE
Small ball table lamp from the renowned manufacturer Kaiser Leuchten. Simple design with special details. The base has a small circumferential recess as a subtle ornament. The opal ...
Metal
Alfredo Bianchi, Selene Small Table Lamp, 1970s
By Bianchi Factory
Located in London, GB
This lamp is characteristic of the Space Age Design. During the 1960s-1980s, designers and architects developed projects and concepts meant to introduce the futur into the present. Designs from this period radiated colour, energy and an aesthetic that looked towards the future. This exciting era of change saw a the proliferation of styles and materials, as artists and designers sought new ways to push boundaries and challenge tradition. In particular, the space and nuclear ages saw the emergence of futuristic new forms inspired by scientific developments and historical events, echoed in pieces like the Selene...
Metal
Louis Kalff, Timor table lamp, Philips, 1960s
By Philips, Louis Kalff
Located in Uppsala, SE
Timor table lamp from the 1930s designed by Louis Kalff for Philips with a round sheet metal shade one a chromed stem mounted to a metal base. Later cord and plug. Good vintage condi...
Metal, Chrome, Sheet Metal
Rörstrand, Swedish stoneware table lamp, 1950s
By Rörstrand
Located in Uppsala, SE
White stoneware lamp with small hints of grey, produced by Swedish manufacturer Rörstrand in the 1950s. Possibly deigned by Gunnar Nylund. The lamp is in an overall good vintage cond...
Stoneware
Brass table lamp by ASEA, Attributed to Hans Bergström, 1950s
By ASEA, Hans Bergström
Located in Uppsala, SE
Large brass ASEA brass table lamp from the 1950s attributed to Hans Bergström, including the rare original off-white pleated shade. New wiring and plug. Very good vintage condition w...
Brass
Poul Henningesen, model PH 5-4.5, Charlottenberg , Louis Poulsen, 1980s
By Ebbe Christensen, Sophus Frandsen, Poul Henningsen, Louis Poulsen
Located in Uppsala, SE
Charlottenborg ceiling lamp, model 5-4.5, designed by Ebbe Christensen & Sophus Frandsen, based on ideas and sketches originally made by Poul Henningsen and produced by his his life ...
Aluminum, Sheet Metal
Italian Ceiling Lamp Attributed to Gino Sarfatti, 1960s
By Gino Sarfatti
Located in Uppsala, SE
Five light ceiling light attributed to Gino Sarfatti, from the 1960s. Chrome frame with white opaline glass shades. Good vintage condition, ware consistent with age and use.
Metal, Chrome
Josef Frank, early example model 2148 floor lamp for Svenskt Tenn, 1934
By Svenskt Tenn, Josef Frank
Located in Uppsala, SE
Early example of the 2148 model floor lamp designed by Josef Frank for Svenskt Tenn in the 1934. This example is most likely from the 1950s or 1960s and is height adjustable between ...
Brass
