Mid century tripod floor lamp NX38 by Louis Kalff for Philips

Louis Kalff for Philips NX38 Tripod Floor Lamp with Red Cone and Grey Saucer Shade, Netherlands, 1950s

Designed in the 1950s by Louis Kalff for Philips, the NX38 is a sculptural Dutch floor lamp from the years when Philips lighting set the international standard. A wide, UFO-like saucer shade in soft grey lacquer floats above a vivid red conical housing with radiating perforations, which casts a graphic pattern of light. The cream interior of the shade gives a warm, diffused glow, and the globe bulb on top completes the space-age silhouette.

The lamp stands on a slender tripod of grey-lacquered tubular steel with brass-capped feet, and a bent brass-toned arm carries the cone. The fine legs and generous shade give it a light, almost weightless presence. It works as a statement piece in a modern interior or in a collection of Dutch design.

Kalff's floor lamps are much rarer than his table lamps, and the NX38 combines his strongest design elements: the saucer shade, the colour accent and the graphic light effect. [Add condition: original lacquer, patina, rewiring/electrical safety, plug type]

Details
Designer: Louis Kalff
Manufacturer: Philips, Eindhoven, the Netherlands
Model: NX38
Period: 1950s
Materials: lacquered steel and metal, brass

Dimensions
H. 165 cm / 65 in
W. 53 cm / 20.9 in
D. 66 cm / 26 in

About the designer: Louis Kalff (1897–1976)
Louis Christiaan Kalff was a Dutch architect and designer who served as Philips' artistic director from 1925 to 1960. He shaped the company's product design, advertising, exhibition architecture and lighting, and he is best known for his 1950s lamps with saucer shades and bold colours. He also led the design of the Philips Pavilion at Expo 58 in Brussels, working with Le Corbusier, Iannis Xenakis and Edgard Varèse.

About the manufacturer: Philips
Philips was founded in 1891 in Eindhoven by Gerard Philips and his father Frederik, and later run with his brother Anton. It began as a light-bulb maker and became one of the world's largest electronics companies. In the post-war years its in-house design department produced lighting that was both industrial and forward-looking, and Kalff's lamps from that period are now among the most collected examples of Dutch mid-century design.

The lamp will be shipped overseas in a custom made wooden crate. Cost of transport to the US, Euro 675, is crate included.

Wear consistent with age and use.

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