Vintage French Jielde Desk Light by Jean-Louis Domecq c.1950-1960

ABOUT

Original Jielde two arm, three jointed desk lamp mounted on a heavy steel base.  Designed by the French engineer, Jean-Louis Domecq, in the 1950s to be used in factories as a work station lamp and to twist and turn in any direction. Following the brief to be "simple, robust and articulated in order to adapt to all working stations", the Jielde lamp is an iconic French industrial piece. Rewired with new braided black cord and an inline on/off switch.

• CREATOR Jean-Louis Domecq, France.
  
• DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1950-1960.
  
• MATERIALS AND TECHNIQUES Metal, Steel. 
  
• CONDITION Good. Wear consistent with age and use. Label missing.
  
• DIMENSIONS H 50 in. (standing upright), Arms: 16 in. each, Shade 8 in. diameter, Base 7 in. diameter.
  

HISTORY

French industrial designer Jean-Louis Domecq (1920-1983) is known for his Jieldé lamps, which are recognized today as an icon of the French industrial arts. Jieldé lamps have played an instrumental role in popularizing the “industrial style” in domestic spaces. 

In 1950, frustrated by the lack of heavy-duty task lamps suitable for use in the workshops that he managed at the time, Domecq decided to design and produce his own industrial lamp. In the past, the absence of durable synthetic insulation materials caused the wiring in adjustable lamps to break easily, which contributed to many accidents. Domecq required something that he could fully articulate without interfering with the electrical wiring. The result, known as the Standard (1950), was a heavy-duty, steel lamp that could be twisted and turned in multiple positions, as the copper contacts ensured rotation up to the mechanical limit of each joint.

Domecq spent the next two years perfecting the design for industrialized production and, in 1953, established Jieldé in Lyon to fabricate and distribute his lamps, in both floor and desk models. The company’s name was formed using the French pronunciation of Domecq’s initials.