Details
Product type | Desk lamp |
Dimensions | ![]() (1) Height - fully extended: 129 cm (2) Height - folded: 65 cm (3) Width - folded: 78 cm |
Material | Arms, joints, shade: anodized aluminum Base: steel |
Colours | Colour![]() ![]() ![]() Base ![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() |
Variants | Optional with polished aluminum base, screw mounting, table clamp or USM table mounting Please note: the USM table mounting does not work with height adjustable tables |
Function & Properties | Cantilevered arm, lamp head adjustable in all directions Adjustable light emission Joints and supports with spring balancing system E27 fitting, max. 8 W (LED) / 77 W (halogen) LED TW version (Tunable White) with variable light temperature |
Concept & manufacturing | |
Included in delivery | Light bulb is not included with the halogen version LED version: 10 W LED included LED TW version: 12 W LED TW included |
Care | For cleaning we recommend a soft cloth and a mild, neutral detergent. |
Certificates | IP Code IP20. |
Warranty | 24 months |
Product family | Tolomeo Collection![]() |
Datasheet | Please click on picture for detailed information (ca. 0,2 MB).![]() |
FAQ
How is the holding pin connected to the USM table?
To connect the holding pin, you must first remove the cover plate from the table leg. To achieve this lay your USM Haller table on its side, take a broom handle and insert it into the base of the table leg and push through until the cover plate pops out. Then you can insert the holding pin and attach the Tolomeo.
What is the halogen lamp?
The bulb looks like a standard bulb, but contains a halogen capsule.
Can the lamp arm be ordered as a spare part?
Yes. Should you require one please contact to our customer service.
The Design
A classic among desk lamps! Designed in 1987 by the Italian designers Michele de Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassi the Artemide Tolomeo Tavolo is a table lamp that one could assume must stand in the tradition of the Memphis Group. Not only Michele de Lucchi belonged to the founding members of the post-modern design movement, but the Tolomeo Tavolo arose in the same epoch. However, unlike the provocative conceptual designs of the Memphis Group, the Artemide Tolomeo lamp is a prime example of function-oriented and aesthetically pleasing design. A two-part adjustable arm and an adjustable head enable the variable alignment and mounting of the luminaire, thus making the Tolomeo Tavolo the ideal desk lamp. The arm is vertically adjustable and swivels, while the lamp head is adjustable in all directions. Stylistically, the Artemide Tolomeo presents a very balanced and timeless impression. The Tolomeo Tavolo is part of a whole lamp family designed by Michele de Lucchi and Giancarlo Fassi including a floor, wall and a ceiling light.

An impression of the Artemide production
Designer
The simple design of the Tolomeo lamp doesn't follow naturally from the radical design background of its author. In contrast to the largely unknown Giancarlo Fassi, Michele De Lucchi work was influential for a whole generation. Born in Ferrara, Italy in 1951 Michele De Lucchi was already active as an architect and designer in his student days; notably as part of the radical design group Cavart in Padua, in the context of which he protested against the then prevalent design establishment. In 1980 he co-founded the Memphis Group along with contemporaries including Ettore Sottsass. The group argued against the then standard industry production practice and developed a new, partially disturbing form of language - quite different from his later design of Tolomeo Tavolo. After dissolution of the Memphis Group in 1989 Michele de Lucchi working on many lighting designs for Artemide and on various projects manufacturers including, for example, Bodum, Olivetti and Vitra.
Production
The Tolomeo Tavolo is produced by the Italian manufacturer Artemide. The Tolomeo is made of aluminium and is available in either matt aluminium or with different colour anodizing. In the latter, a protective oxide layer is generated, i.e. it is not applied as an extra layer, but becomes the outer layer of the object. The joints of the Artemide Tolomeo are made from polished aluminium and work on a spring balance system. The Tolomeo table lamp comes with either a round foot base, a table clamp for mounting directly on the table or a USM retaining pin for attachment to USM Hallertable legs. Artemide products are produced in Italy, France, Hungary and the United States.

Designer of the Tolomeo Tavolo Michele de Lucchi (Designed together with Giancarlo Fassi)
Historical Context
When in 1987 Michele de Lucchi developed his Tolomeo Tavolo lamp, the so-called Memphis Group which he co-founded was entering its final throes. The defining Italian design movement of the 1980s stood for a new zeitgeist in which personal success, new communication techniques and comfort played a central role. The design of the 80s reflects these developments with bright colours, exaggerated shapes and unconventional, cheesy, innuendo. Together with pioneers such as Ettore Sottsass Michele de Lucchi turned the established design conventions on their head and so helped define the era. But Michele de Lucchi also responded to new developments and counter-movements to the radical Memphis Group. Almost predicting the soon to be omnipresent pragmatic design of the 1990s, in 1987 he created with the Tolomeo Tavolo a desk lamp which on account of its advanced functionality and timeless form has become a genuine design classic.

The 1981 lamp Océanic by Michele de Lucchi for the Memphis Group

The Tolomeo lamp family are produced by the Italian manufacturer Artemide
Manufacturer
Founded in 1960 the lighting manufacturer Artemide have their headquarters in Pregnana near Milan, Italy. Over the past five decades the Artemide programme has been and become home to numerous design classics, with many being awarded important international design awards - such as the Tolomeo which was awarded the Compasso d 'Oro or the Itis winning Red Dot Design Award. Indeed, in 1995, Artemide as a whole was awarded the Compasso d 'Oro. Artemide designs and manufactures i