Pair of “Sunburts” ceiling lamps: Italy, 1950s.

Pair of “Sunburts” ceiling lamps: Italy, 1950s.
Lacquered metal.
The lamps have been recently rewired, each with an E27 lamp holder.
In very good condition.
Measurements: 20 x 48 cm (x2).
Pair of mid-20th-century Italian pendant lamps, made of lacquered metal—one in black and the other in a gold finish—both decorated with a radial composition of silver elements evoking the shape of a sun. Originally designed for recessed mounting, they feature a central lighting fixture topped by a metal cap and can also be adapted for suspended installation using a chain.
These pieces are a representative example of 1950s Italian design, a period in which lighting took on a distinctly sculptural character. Their radial composition, formed by metal spikes radiating from a central core, is part of the aesthetic imagery of the Space Age and so-called “Sputnik design.” Following the launch of the Soviet Sputnik satellite in 1957, the international design world enthusiastically embraced forms inspired by atoms, stellar explosions, and celestial bodies, giving rise to some of the most iconic light fixtures of the 20th century. Although numerous pieces of this type were produced anonymously by Italian workshops, designers such as Emil Stejnar in Austria and firms such as Stilnovo played a fundamental role in spreading this formal language through the creation of light fixtures featuring radial structures and three-dimensional metal elements.