A man diggin' deep🤓
What archaeology has to do with design
A client recently asked us how we actually choose the pieces for our store. Good question! First criterion, of course: do they please us and come from the time that we have set as a rough framework for our collections. So we go by aesthetics on the one hand and quality + condition on the other. The midcentury classics that are often represented in other stores are only exceptionally found here on VINTARAMA. We rather have fun to lift the inconspicuous treasures and thereby in the best case also learn something about design and designers.
A current example is this at first glance rather inconspicuous table lamp. Dirk actually only brought it along as an "accidental bycatch". But something about it awakened his archaeological intuition. He began to research. What exactly are the characteristics of the lamp? What special features? Which designer or manufacturer might have brought a similar piece to market, and at what time? Is it an original or just an imitation?
After many hours then a hit: Swiss designer Hans Eichinger, a BAUHAUS-inspired floor lamp from 1954. But no table lamp to it. Okay, so it's probably an imitation after all. But then it happened: When Dirk unscrewed the lamp to clean it, a hidden sticker suddenly comes to light: "Kaiser Leuchten 45094". A quality brand known for table lamps by Bauhaus designer Christian Dell. Did they really copy from Eichinger? Digging deeper, he found that this is indeed a very rare piece. Our hight-adjustable table lamp appears in a design book from 1962, which was not very long after the Eichinger design. One question still remains: who might have copied from whom? No matter - we find it just marvelous minimalistic, right?
Wish you all a delightful weekend,
Katja & Dirk
As always, we welcome any question and feedback!
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