Tobia Scarpa — “Fantasma” Floor Lamp for Flos, 1961
An exceptional example of Tobia Scarpa’s celebrated Fantasma floor lamp, designed in 1961 for Flos and among the most sculptural expressions of post-war Italian lighting.
Its extraordinary vertical silhouette is formed by a slender internal steel structure enveloped in the revolutionary Cocoon sprayed resin, creating an almost architectural presence — somewhere between sculpture, light and organic form.
What makes this particular example especially compelling is its superb original patina. The Cocoon surface has matured naturally over the decades into a beautifully warm, parchment-like tone, displaying the subtle variations and translucency that only genuine age can produce. Rather than diminishing the piece, this remarkable patination gives it exceptional depth and character, and bears witness to more than sixty years of history.
Tobia Scarpa (Venice, 1935), son of the great Venetian architect Carlo Scarpa, is one of the defining figures of twentieth-century Italian design. Working both independently and alongside his wife Afra Scarpa, he created furniture, interiors and lighting for many of Italy’s most distinguished manufacturers, including Flos, B&B Italia, Cassina and Molteni. His work is characterised by an extraordinary understanding of materials, construction and proportion, combining the rigour of architecture with an unmistakably Italian sensuality.
Fantasma remains one of his most radical and recognisable designs: an illuminated sculpture rather than simply a lamp, and an enduring icon of the golden age of Italian design.
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