Vintage flexible lamp Hebi by Isao Hosoe for Valenti, 1970

The lamp was designed in 1969 , and in production since 1970 . Hebi is the Japanese word for snake . The flexible metal tube is covered with plastic and can be rotated in any direction and the shade can be rotated. A lamp with unlimited position flexibility. Valenti was founded in Milan in 1929. It became one of the most important companies of the Italian design movement under the leadership of brothers Diego and Renzo Phiga . In 1967, Isao Hosoe when he arrived in Milan, began to work as a designer in the studio Ponti, Fornaroli, Rosselli . With an unusual approach, he discovered the world of industrial design At this point, his attention turned to the possibility of using existing industrial components to create new objects. In a store near the Columns of San Lorenzo in Milan he found a simple flexible tube. Thus was born Hebi , which went into production from 1970. Manufactured by Valenti, Hebi was an immediate success, selling 5000 units in one month. Hebi was a product that was not designed, but had instant communication power. Its concept was movement: the flexible tube ripples, creates soft curves, and after a sensual dance ending, it lights up with a small spherical diffuser. The key point of Hebi’s design is "lack," which has a positive meaning here. The absence of a base simplified the design and introduced a creative component, a legacy for everyone who interacts with this object. The lamp dates from the early years of production is preserved in its original condition and has a patina on it.