Elio Martinelli

Italian designer (1921-2004) who founded Martinelli Luce in Lucca in 1950, turning a family metalwork tradition into a leading modern lighting company. His own designs, such as the Serpente and Cobra lamps of the 1960s, use white methacrylate and lacquered metal in sinuous, articulated forms. The company also produced Gae Aulenti's Pipistrello, and period pieces with original labels remain highly sought after.