There's no longer a point in mentioning that LED lamps have come a long way-they've come a long enough way that this now goes without saying. The quality of the light is good-no longer the cold, sterile cast of yesteryear. The quality of the lamp, however, is not always so good. International lighting company Artemide does LED quite well, giving the technology some very well designed outlets, among these the Egle Table Lamp designed by Michel Boucquillon.

Egle Table Lamp. Designed by Michel Boucquillon for Artemide.

Sleek, Rotating LED Luminaire

This standing luminaire for adjustable direct LED lighting uses a spherical pivot base, allowing for a "wide range of rotation." Speaking of rotation, the statistics are pretty impressive: the diffuser rotates 300 degrees; the stem rotates 150 degrees vertically and 40 degrees horizontally. The base too has its perks. It acts as a reflector when the diffuser is directed downwards, and its concave shape "enables use as an object-holder." The stem is made of aluminum; the base and diffuser of die-cast aluminum (available in polished white, black, or chrome finishes).

Egle Table Lamp is graceful and birdlike. The head resembles a robotic crane-and here it reminds me of the Sarus Series designed by David Weeks for Ralph Pucci. The shiny base of Egle looks like a miniature spaceship coming to land on your desk (the office version of a UFO landing, if the aliens have good intentions). Artemide believes that "light has never been solely a function of seeing." The company proposes "light as a companion to people, as a source of physical pleasure and mental comfort." The Egle Table Lamp should bring your day a little burst of light-literally and figuratively.