sold / Serpente floor lamp by Elio Martinelli for Martinelli Luce, 1965

Swiveling around its central pivot, the Serpente floor lamp changes its guise while retaining its humble appearance. For this design Elio Martinelli was inspired by the unpredictable shapes of nature on the one hand and the calculated character of geometrics on the other. Innovative methacrylate moulding techniques allowed Martinelli to conceive the soft round form of the plastic shade, which was revolutionary for its time. Designed already in 1965, the Serpente anticipates the famous plastic Plia chair (1969) and the Panthella floor lamp (1971) - icons that heralded the seventies as the era of plastic.