Martinelli Luce Pipistrello: the versions since 1965
Designed by Gae Aulenti in 1965 for Martinelli Luce, the Pipistrello is one of the few Italian lamps to have stayed in continuous production since it was created. Its opaline diffuser, which recalls the spread wings of a bat, sits on a telescopic lacquered metal stem, placing it somewhere between a table lamp and a small floor lamp. Sixty years on, it is still made in Lucca, in Tuscany, and circulates widely on the vintage design market. Here are its successive variants, its dimensions and markings, and how to tell an early production from a recent reissue or a copy.
Origin and context
Gae Aulenti designed the Pipistrello in 1965, when Italian domestic lighting was exploring what the new thermoplastics could do. The diffuser, in moulded opaline methacrylate, gives a soft, even light. Pipistrello means bat in Italian, a reference to the shape of the shade, whose four wings spread symmetrically around a central axis.
The lamp is produced by Martinelli Luce, a manufacturer founded in 1950 by Elio Martinelli in Lucca, and it has been made in Italy since the start. The Pipistrello was used early on in interior architecture projects, notably Aulenti's own.
It has three components: a heavy lacquered metal base, which keeps it stable, a telescopic stem adjustable in height, and the opaline methacrylate diffuser, which softens the light without glare. The way it is made has changed little over the decades.
Versions and editions over time
The standard Pipistrello adjusts between 66 and 86 cm in height thanks to its telescopic stem, and its diffuser is about 55 cm across. The base, lacquered white at first, has been offered in matt black, chrome and, occasionally, limited-edition colours. White remains the reference version.
The Pipistrello Mini, added to the catalogue later, takes the silhouette down in scale, with a fixed height suited to a desk or bedside table. The Pipistrello Medio, about 50 cm high, sits between the Mini and the standard version. These variants share the original design, but their parts are not interchangeable.
The Pipistrello Outdoor, more recent, is designed for outdoor use: diffuser and base in treated materials, usually powered by a rechargeable battery. It is aimed at terraces and restaurants, without changing the silhouette.
Production from the 1960s and 1970s used incandescent bulbs. More recent editions have gradually moved to LED, which changes the quality of the light and the consumption, and may offer dimming. An early Pipistrello that has not been converted keeps its original wiring and a switch on the stem.
Markings help date a lamp. Early pieces carry a Martinelli Luce stamp or label under the base. Recent production adds the regulatory marks for electrical compliance and energy class. The font, depth and position of the stamp vary over time, which gives a further clue.
The original diffuser, in opaline methacrylate, has a slight ivory tint and a particular translucency, with a satin feel. Copies often use ordinary acrylic, whiter, more uniform and glossier, which spreads the light differently.
The original telescopic stem uses an internal clamping system that may, after several decades, develop a little play. This sign of use does not call authenticity into question as long as the mechanism works. Imitations often have a fixed stem or a simplified, less precise telescopic system.
Recognising the authentic piece
The Martinelli Luce stamp under the base remains the first clue: it should be present, legible and consistent with the stated period. The weight of the base is another: an authentic model weighs several kilos, while copies often have a lighter base in thin metal or weighted plastic.
The diffuser should have the ivory tint of opaline methacrylate and carefully assembled wings, with clean joints and no excess material. The stem should slide smoothly and lock firmly at the chosen height. Original wiring and switch also tell you about the production period.
Valuation and secondary market
The valuation of a Pipistrello takes into account the version, period, condition of the diffuser, working of the stem and whether the wiring is original. A 1970s piece in perfect working order, with a legible stamp and an intact diffuser, sells for more than an equivalent recent production, without reaching the level of documented limited editions.
The diffuser is the most fragile part and the one that weighs most on value. A crack, even a small one, on one of the wings noticeably changes the valuation, and a non-original replacement diffuser detracts from the authenticity of the whole. Examined under indirect light, the diffuser reveals its most discreet flaws.
A seized telescopic mechanism can be restored, but a bent stem or faulty locking weighs on the valuation. Original wiring that meets current standards, or can be brought up to them without visible change, is an asset for a lamp meant for everyday use.
What we check
When a Pipistrello comes through our hands, we check the Martinelli Luce stamp, examine the diffuser, test the telescopic mechanism and the electrics, then value it according to its version, condition and probable period.
The Pipistrello lamps we offer are on the Martinelli Luce page. To have a lamp examined, contact us.
By
LAPIERRE MARKET
