Light, glass and geometry meet in Carlo Nason’s LT385 table lamp for AV Mazzega. Created circa 1970, the model belongs to a period in which Nason translated Murano glassmaking into lighting with a distinctly architectural character. The LT385 is documented as a design by Nason for AV Mazzega, with a comparable example published in Carlo Nason: Glass Designer 1959–2020 by Rosa Chiesa and Alberto Zannoni.

Design

A cylindrical glass diffuser forms the centre of the lamp, enclosed between two broad circular metal discs. The proportions give the piece the appearance of a spool, reducing its construction to three clearly defined elements. Across the transparent glass runs a continuous spiral of white lattimo glass, a technique closely associated with Venetian glassmaking. Once illuminated, these diagonal bands soften the light and cast a pattern across the surrounding surface.

Nason was born into a Murano glassmaking family and developed lighting in which the material itself determined much of the visual effect. Here, ornament comes directly from the glass rather than from applied decoration. The spiralling lattimo lines bring movement to the cylindrical body, set against the restrained geometry of the dark metal plates.

Broad upper and lower discs frame the glass and reflect some of its warm light. Their dark brown patinated surfaces create a marked contrast with the clear and white glass when switched off. Seen from different angles, the lamp shifts between a compact sculptural object and a source of atmospheric light. Its low horizontal profile works particularly well on a console, side table or desk.

The LT385 captures Nason’s interest in combining traditional Murano techniques with the reduced forms of post-war Italian lighting. Compact in scale and graphic in construction, it remains equally engaging with or without illumination.

Condition

The lamp is in perfect vintage condition, with a lovely patina on the metal surfaces.