This Model 262 lamp was designed by Italian lighting designer Gino Sarfatti in 1971.
Made of an aluminum reflector and a single bulb, it was strikingly modern, minimalist, and industrial; the spun aluminum wasn’t polished, and wore its production method on its sleeve. The sole element preventing glare was the mirrored coating on the top half of the bulb.
The lamp could be either wall- or ceiling-mounted.
The Model 262 was designed late in Sarfatti’s career, when he was 58; in 1973, Sarfatti retired and sold his company, Arteluce, to competitor and former rival Flos. Flos subsequently mothballed the Model 262. It had only been on the market for two years.
Now the Model 262 is back. Astep, an Italian lighting brand founded by Alessandro Sarfatti—Gino’s grandson—has put it back into production. The only part of it that Gino Sarfatti wouldn’t recognize is the bulb, which is now an LED.