Pair of “Brera” wall lamps by Achille Castiglioni for Flos (1992). Black metal and etched glass. Discontinued, excellent vintage condition. Italy, 1990s.
Specifications:
- Designer: Achille Castiglioni
- Manufacturer: Flos
- Country/Period: Italy, 1990s
- Materials: Varnished metal, etched glass, plastic
- Conditions: Preowned; excellent vintage condition; discontinued model
- Dimensions: 36 × 14 × 20 cm; glass diffuser 23 × 14 cm
- Literature: S. Polano, "Castiglioni. Tutte le opere", Electa Mondadori, 2018
- Price: €400 / pair
- Shipping: Contact us for a quote
Designed by Achille Castiglioni for Flos in 1992, the “Brera” series distilled his research on optical control and user-friendly lighting into a refined, versatile family. The program encompassed table, wall, suspension, and floor versions, all anchored by a single idea: the refractor as the project’s generating component.
The wall model offered here features the characteristic ovoid diffuser whose profile recalls the symbolic “egg” in Piero della Francesca’s Pala dei Montefeltro, housed at the Pinacoteca di Brera in Milan—hence the collection’s name. As shown, the etched-glass upper shell sits above a molded lower element, set on a black varnished metal arm and wall cup, achieving a poised, graphic silhouette.
Technically, the diffuser is divided into two parts—one in etched glass, one in plastic—to promote ventilation and cool the socket holder for durable, comfortable light. This pair is the original wall-mounted variant and remains discontinued today. Condition is excellent vintage, consistent with careful use.
For collectors of 20th-century Italian lighting, Brera exemplifies Castiglioni’s clear, witty reduction of form to function and light quality. Within Flos’s history—founded in 1962 and renowned for collaborations with the Castiglioni brothers and the Scarpas—the Brera line stands as a concise, scholarly project bridging historical reference and industrial intelligence.
