1970s Italian Rabarbaro Brass Leaf Floor Lamp, Bottega Gadda

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Sculptural Italian floor lamp from the celebrated “Foglia” series, commonly referred to as the “Rabarbaro” (Rhubarb) model, executed in solid … Read more Sculptural Italian floor lamp from the celebrated “Foglia” series, commonly referred to as the “Rabarbaro” (Rhubarb) model, executed in solid brass. The design is attributed to Tommaso Barbi and Carlo Giorgi and produced in Italy during the 1970s by the Milanese workshop Bottega Gadda, known for translating botanical forms into architectural lighting objects.

The lamp is defined by its oversized brass leaf, carefully hand-hammered and chased to create a richly textured surface that captures the natural veining of the plant form. The leaf functions as a reflector for the concealed bulb behind it, producing a soft, atmospheric indirect light that emphasizes the sculptural surface of the metal.

A slender, gently curving brass stem rises from a minimalist circular ring base formed from a square brass rod—a detail typical of Bottega Gadda’s 1970s production. The overall composition combines strong architectural clarity with organic inspiration, a hallmark of Italian design from the period and closely aligned with the glamorous botanical lighting associated with the Hollywood Regency aesthetic.

Each example of these lamps presents slight variation in the hammered brass surface, reflecting the hand-worked nature of their production and the artisanal metalworking traditions of Italian workshops of the era. See less