Pair of Amanta Mario Bellini armchairs, original fabric, label
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer),C&B Italia (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 27.56 in (70 cm)Width: 31.5 in (80 cm)Depth: 32.29 in (82 cm)Seat Height: 16.15 in (41 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The chairs are in its vintage condition, the shell has light scratches and the fabric has light stains but no breaks. Original fabric from the era.
- Seller Location:Milano, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU4911239101032
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.
C&B Italia
In 1966, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli cofounded C&B Italia, a modern Italian furniture manufacturer, with Cesare Cassina in northern Milan. The Camaleonda sofa — a darling of the design world — is an iconic C&B piece created in 1970 by Milanese architect and designer Mario Bellini, which became a hit after its star turn in the 1972 exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Soon afterward, however, the company split, with Cassina founding his own eponymous firm and Busnelli taking leadership of what became B&B Italia.
From the outset at C&B, Busnelli and Cassina set about recruiting the most talented modernists in Italy to conceive of creative furnishings manufactured in modern ways. As B&B, for decades, Busnelli cultivated relationships with the world’s best design talent, resulting in furniture pieces that remain legendary today — be they Gaetano Pesce’s outwardly curvaceous Up seating (made for C&B, reintroduced by B&B) or tables from industrial designer Paolo Piva, each more sophisticated than the next in their geometrically complex steel-tube bases. B&B Italia earned four prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards: in 1979 for Bellini’s Le Bambole, in 1984 for the Sisamo wardrobe system by Studio Kairos, in 1987 for Antonio Citterio’s modular Sity sofa and, in 1989, the first award given to a manufacturing company itself.
Other notable names who designed for B&B Italia over the course of its 54-year history include Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa, Zaha Hadid, Ettore Sottsass and Vincent Van Duysen, to name a very few. And while these names bring star power to the B&B brand, in many cases, it was B&B Italia who helped usher in their celebrity, fostering a wave of design talent on the world stage. Now, B&B Italia manages a contract division and outdoor section as well as its residential arm, and it also controls production for Maxalto, a brand spun out with furniture designs by Antonio Citterio.
At 1stDibs, find vintage C&B Italia furniture including sofas, armchairs, tables and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: milano, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Alain Delon Vintage “Salon” Red Armchairs, Original LabelBy Maison Jansen, Alain DelonLocated in Milano, ITThe elegant vintage armchairs are designed in the 70s by the famous Alain Delon for fine manufacturer Maison Jansen. The original Alain Delon label is present. The two armchairs ar...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSilk, Wood
- Alain Delon Vintage "Salon" White Armchairs, Original LabelBy Maison Jansen, Alain DelonLocated in Milano, ITThe elegant vintage armchairs are designed in the 70s by the famous Alain Delon for fine manufacturer Maison Jansen. The original Alain Delon label is present. The two armchairs ar...Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSilk
- Arne Vodder Vintage armchairs for France & Daverkosen, original labelBy France & Daverkosen, Arne VodderLocated in Milano, ITA vintage recliner armchair by the renowned Arne Vodder, crafted for France & Daverkosen in the 1950s, stands as a testament to timeless des...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Italian armchair in original floral fabric of the timeBy Midcentury Italian schoolLocated in Milano, ITStep into a captivating era of Italian design with this exquisite armchair from the 1930s, blending the enchanting styles of Art Deco and Rationalism. This is not just a piece of fur...Category
Vintage 1930s Italian Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Pair of Italian Vintage Armchairs in Blue Fabric, 1950sLocated in Milano, ITWonderful pair of vintage Italian-made armchairs from the 1950s. The armchairs feature a blue leather back and seat, which gives them a certain elegance. The structure of the vintag...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather
- Pair of Italian Futurist armchairs with coloured fabricLocated in Milano, ITStep into a portal of artistic innovation and historical reverence with this remarkable pair of Italian Futurist armchairs, hailing from the dynamic period of 1910-1915. These chairs...Category
Vintage 1910s Italian Futurist Armchairs
MaterialsCotton, Wood
- Pair of Amanta armchairs by Mario Bellini for C&b Italia 1960sBy Mario Bellini, C&B ItaliaLocated in PARIS, FRAmanta chair set by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, 1960s. The Amanta model was the first piece designed by Mario Bellini for the Italian firm's debut. He drew inspiration from Ludwig ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Plastic
- Pair of Amanta armchairs by Mario Bellini for C&b Italia 1960sBy Mario Bellini, C&B ItaliaLocated in PARIS, FRAmanta armchair by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, 1960s. The Amanta model was the first piece designed by Mario Bellini for the early days of the Italian firm. He was inspired by Ludw...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Space Age Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Plastic
- Mario Bellini for C&B Italia Midcentury Amanta Velvet Armchairs Set of Two 1973By C&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Reggio Emilia, ITItalian armchair model Amanta designed by Mario Bellini and produced by C&B Italia from 1966, with corduroy upholstery and fibreglass frame, original manufacturer’s label and relief ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- C&b Amanta Mario BelliniBy Mario Bellini, C&B ItaliaLocated in Napoli, NASet 3 Poltrone Amanta C&B Incluso nel prezzo il tavolino C&bCategory
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Natural Fiber
- Set of 4 Amanta armchairs by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia - 1970sBy Mario BelliniLocated in Uccle, BruxellesAmazing set of 4 Amanta armchairs in black leather designed by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia in 1966. The leather is in really good shape with an amazing patina. They are in really ...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Plastic
- Early Mario Bellini “Amanta” SofaBy C&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Chicago, ILby C&B Italia c. 1968 and fully restored in leather. This piece has been signed + dated by the manufacturing team. The original maker’s insignia is also present on each piece. The fi...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Fiberglass