Ingo Maurer

INGO MAURER (Reichenau, Germany, 1932–Munich, 2019) for Design M, Munich, Germany.
Pair of "Glatzkopf" table lamps. Designed in 1981.
Early edition, 1980s.
Lacquered steel and metal components.
Adjustable shade.
In good condition, with slight signs of wear consistent with its age.
Measurements: 65 × 25 × 25 cm.

The Glatzkopf belongs to a particularly significant period in Ingo Maurer’s career, marked by the transformation of the functional light fixture into an object endowed with identity, humor, and narrative capacity. Its very name—translatable as “bald head”—introduces the designer’s characteristic sense of irony; he conceived the asymmetrical shade as a sort of hat placed over the light source. The original model dates from 1981 and served as the basis for a reissue presented by the firm in 2017; for this reason, this early version from Design M is of particular interest within the evolution of the design.

Rather than in its formal complexity, its significance lies in Maurer’s ability to combine structural simplicity, light control, and an anthropomorphic interpretation of the object. The piece exemplifies his conception of lighting as a realm situated between industrial design and artistic experimentation—an approach that made him one of the most influential figures in lighting design of the late 20th century.

Ingo Maurer founded Design M in Munich in 1966 and devoted his career almost exclusively to the study of light. His designs are part of the collection at MoMA in New York, and the Cooper Hewitt Smithsonian Design Museum dedicated the retrospective *Provoking Magic: Lighting of Ingo Maurer* to him.