Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos

AFRA SCARPA (Montebelluna, 1937 – Trevignano, 2011) and TOBIA SCARPA (Venice, 1935) for Flos.
“Butterfly” floor lamp, designed in 1985.
Lacquered metal, satin-finished glass, and white pleated fabric.
White version, less common than the one with a black frame.
In very good condition, with slight signs of use.
Bibliography: Giuliana Gramigna, Repertorio del design italiano 1950–2000. Per l'arredamento domestico, Umberto Allemandi & C., Turin, 2003, vol. II, p. 354 (documented model).
Measurements: 208 x 80 x 30 cm.

The “Butterfly” model is a unique lighting design by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Flos, in which functionality and sculptural expression are combined through an original structure inspired by the wings of a butterfly. The lamp features two pleated fabric shades, arranged in a fan shape and adjustable to different positions, which allow the light to be directed around a central element of satin-finished glass. Its slender metal support and the visual lightness of the shades give the piece a refined aesthetic, characteristic of 1980s Italian design. This version, with a white-lacquered structure and dark base, is particularly striking due to its color contrast.

Afra and Tobia Scarpa are among the leading figures of 20th-century Italian design. Trained in architecture in Venice, they began their professional collaboration in the late 1950s, developing projects for firms such as Flos, Cassina, B&B Italia, and Gavina. In 1970, they received the prestigious Compasso d’Oro award for their “Soriana” seating system. Their designs are part of major international collections, including that of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York, which houses several of their pieces of furniture and lighting fixtures.