Model 415 CAB Lounge Chair by Mario Bellini
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 33 in (83.82 cm)Width: 36 in (91.44 cm)Depth: 31 in (78.74 cm)Seat Height: 16 in (40.64 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1982
- Condition:Light/excellent wear commensurate with age.
- Seller Location:Danville, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU8264928830
Mario Bellini
Milan-born architect and designer Mario Bellini just may be the closest thing to a modern-day Renaissance man: His creative output spans genres, from electronics to furniture to architecture to cars, comprising iconic designs in each. Vintage Mario Bellini sofas, dining chairs and other seating pieces are widely coveted, and the designer has been the recipient of multiple prestigious Compasso d’Oro awards. More than 20 of his works are in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art.
Born in 1935, Bellini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan before founding his own firm in his native city in the early 1960s. He soon branched out beyond architecture, however, first for the tech manufacturer Olivetti, where he served as chief industrial design consultant from 1963 to 1991. During that time, Bellini oversaw the design of some of Olivetti’s most popular typewriters.
His penchant for electronic design didn’t stop there: Bellini also designed cameras for Fuji, televisions for Brionvega and a slew of audio devices for Yamaha, then served as design consultant for Renault and devised the interior of the 1980 Lancia Trevi for Fiat. Meanwhile, his architecture work spans continents, including such modern gems as the Museum of Islamic Arts at the Louvre, the National Gallery of Victoria extension in Melbourne, the Dubai Creek Complex and the Milan Convention Centre in his hometown.
And then there’s the furniture: Over the last 70 years, Bellini has designed office furniture for Vitra; lamps for Artemide, Erco and FLOS; porcelain for Rosenthal and long-admired sofas and other seating for Kartell, Natuzzi, B&B Italia, Cassina and more.
His oft-imitated 1977 Cab chair for Cassina, comprising 16 individual pieces of saddle leather that create a “skin” over a minimal metal frame, remains one of the manufacturer’s best sellers today. His pudgy-legged, round tables for Cassina foreshadow Faye Toogood’s widely loved Roly Poly line. His postmodern Summa armchairs for Kartell, as well as his elegant Chiara floor lamp, still lure collectors on vintage furniture websites.
Bellini’s most famous contribution to furniture design, though, may be his 1970 Camaleonda sofa for B&B Italia (then C&B Italia). An entrant to the 1972 MoMA show “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape,” the seat takes its name from the Italian words for chameleon and wave. Its bulbous, modular form makes it infinitely flexible. The sofa was a runaway hit at the show and, once discontinued, remained so popular among vintage dealers that B&B Italia reissued it in 2020 with all recycled materials and interchangeable seat covers. “Of all the objects I have designed, Camaleonda is perhaps the best in terms of its sense of freedom,” Bellini said.
Browse an expansive collection of vintage Mario Bellini furniture — including dining tables, armchairs, mid-century sofas and more — today on 1stDibs.
You May Also Like
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Steel
2010s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Metal
Late 20th Century Italian Lounge Chairs
Steel
Late 20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Steel
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Lounge Chairs
Leather
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric
More From This Seller
View AllVintage 1970s Mexican Organic Modern Lounge Chairs
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Mid-Century Modern Swivel Chairs
Upholstery, Hardwood, Maple
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Fabric
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
Stainless Steel
Vintage 1940s Italian Armchairs
Cane
Vintage 1970s Mexican Organic Modern Dining Room Chairs
Oak
