Ultrafragola Mirror Lamp by Ettore Sottsass
Focus

Designed by Ettore Sottsass in 1970 as part of the Mobili Grigi series of bedroom and living room objects, the Ultrafragola Mirror/Lamp.

Made from white opaline plastic and nickel-plated glass, with pink neon LED lights inside the iconic frame. Its name translates to "the ultimate strawberry" in Italian—a playful reference to sensuality and was the only piece from the collection to make it beyond the prototype phase.

Ultrafragola mirror by Ettore Sottsass © Archive Poltronova, 1970

Ultrafragola mirror by Ettore Sottsass © Archive Poltronova, 1970

When switched off the frame is brilliant white, when switched on the neon light produces a bright pink glow.

"As for the lights that are coming out of “The grey furniture”, don’t tombs always have a trembling light to illuminate the blue of the spirits wandering in the valley of dust? Don’t submarines have a trembling green light in their belly? The lights anyway are supposed to come out from the fibreglass bodies, like the ever—glowing of the breast’s white skin, like the ever—glowing of the penis red head in pornographic nights, something of this kind: I mean something like the Japanese lights of the glow worm that are turning the nights into matter."

Ettore Sottsass, 1970

Ultrafragola mirror by Ettore Sottsass © Archive Poltronova, 1970

Ultrafragola mirror by Ettore Sottsass © Archive Poltronova, 1970

Ultrafragola mirror by Ettore Sottsass © Archive Poltronova, 1970