Italian Cocoon Table Lamp Attributed to Achille Castiglioni for Flos, 1960s - 2 Available

An Italian cocoon table lamp attributed to Achille Castiglioni for Flos from the 1960s, pairing a softly sculptural diffuser with the warmth of a turned wood base.

The lamp is defined by its broad, low shade, formed around a ribbed internal structure that divides the surface into a sequence of gently swelling sections. The cocoon material, a sprayed resin shade, mimicking the look of goatskin, stretches across this framework as a continuous translucent skin, creating a form somewhere between a lantern and an organic pod. Fine variations, veining, and areas of warm amber coloration remain visible across the surface.

The shade becomes most expressive when illuminated. Its translucent surface softens the light rather than directing it, emphasizing the ribs and subtle irregularities within the cocoon material and producing an atmospheric glow.

This type of cocoon construction became an important part of experimental Italian lighting during the period. Rather than relying on a conventional fabric shade, the material could be applied over a skeletal framework to create lightweight, volumetric forms that diffuse light across the entire surface. It is an approach closely associated with several of Achille Castiglioni’s celebrated designs for Flos, where industrial materials were often used in unexpected ways to achieve remarkably simple silhouettes.

Here, the rounded diffuser sits directly above a compact turned wood base. Its dark, warm grain provides a grounded counterpoint to the pale shade, while the base’s flared profile echoes the curvature above. The contrast is particularly effective: opaque wood beneath a nearly weightless-looking shell, with very little hardware interrupting the composition.

Sold and priced individually.