Bilboquet is a table lamp by Canadian designer Philippe Malouin, marking his first collaboration with Flos.
The lamp consists of two colored cylinders connected by a magnetic sphere that acts as a joint and allows the upper cylinder to rotate, directing the flow of light. All the elements that compose it are inspired by the bilboquet, a game born in France in the 16th century, to which the Malouin lamp owes its name.
The tool to play bilboquet was a perforated wooden ball tied with a string to the middle of a stick that was pointed at one end and equipped with a concave plate at the other. The game consisted of popping the ball, then receiving it: either on the point that fits into the hole in the ball or on the saucer.
With Bilboquet, Malouin transforms the use of light by evoking a playful experience and using it to create a balance of shapes, materials and colors.
In this search for an emotional bond, in its formal clarity and visual uniqueness, lies the entire design poetics of Malouin, a designer who has always pursued simplicity (of production, assembly and aesthetics) and durability as key elements of good design.
Single colored body, cable and plug for consistent aesthetics
The playful aspect of Bilboquet is also central in the choice of the three-color palette, sage, tomato and linen, which characterize not only the body of the lamp, but also the cable and plug, resulting in a body with consistent aesthetics. Bilboquet has been designed to be adaptable to the most diverse requirements: in addition to the cylinder, which is adjustable, the cable can also be left free or concealed, locked in a special housing under the base.
Future-poof design
Bilboquet’s sustainability is expressed through outstanding design and manufacturing qualities.
For the purpose of durability, Bilboquet is designed to last over time. Its main components can be perfectly disassembled and easily repaired, replaced or properly disposed in separate parts. Even the retrofit bulb can be replaced and upgraded over time, ensuring a long casting life for the lamp.
Materials do not receive secondary manufacturing finishes, in order to reduce the environmental impact. Instead of standard painting, the individual elements of the body are mass-colored and ennobled through the introduction of surface patterns for a high-quality result that lasts over time.
The iron sphere of Bilboquet -is not treated with anticorrosive galvanic coating but with PVD (Physical Vapor Deposition) surface treatment: a subtle innovation that guarantees impeccable aesthetic results without resorting to the use of an invasive production process.
Finally, the lamp features a super-compact packaging. Shipping and storage volumes are reduced to a minimum as the product is decomposed within the packaging, offering users a simple and fun assembly experience.
“Simple in appearance but full of personality, Bilboquet is an adjustable table lamp that allows you to direct light in a playful yet precise manner. Taking cues from magnetic ball joints, Bilboquet offers a full range of movement for a variety of functions. Whether used as a task light on a desk, or to provide a soft glow against a wall, or directed at a good book, Bilboquet shines light where it is needed.” Philippe Malouin
