Mario Bellini Le Mura Daybed in Original Mohair Velvet, Italy, 1972
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer),Cassina (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 24.81 in (63 cm)Width: 92.92 in (236 cm)Depth: 36.62 in (93 cm)Seat Height: 11.03 in (28 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1972
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Pijnacker, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1712229090232
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.
Cassina
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Pijnacker, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- Set of six Mario Bellini CAB 412 chairs by Cassina in tan leather- Italy, 1977By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandIntroducing the Mario Bellini for Cassina CAB 412 Chairs in Luxurious Leather: Elevate your living space with the epitome of Italian design and craftsmanship - the Mario Bellini Cassina CAB 412 chairs in sumptuous leather. These chairs are not just furniture; they are exquisite pieces of art that seamlessly blend form and function to create an unparalleled seating experience. Designer: Mario Bellini Manufacturer: Cassina Model: Cab 412 Design period: 1977 Date of manufacturing: circa 1970-80 Size WDH in cm: 47x44x81 seat height 44,5 cm. Material: Leather Condition: Good / Signs of age and use / Wear along the edges Price: On request The Cassina 412...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Mario Bellini Rare model Pianura living room set by Cassina, Italy – 1971By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandThe Pianura living room set by Mario Bellini for CASSINA is a beautifully designed and stylish collection of furniture pieces that can transform your living room into a luxurious and...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Living Room Sets
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Cleopatra Daybed Designed by Cordemeyer for Auping *New Upholstery* Holland 1954By Dick Cordemeijer, AupingLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandNew upholstered daybed by Dick Cordemeijer for Auping, Netherlands – 1953. The Cleopatra daybed has a new mattress and bouclé beige creme fabric by De Ploegstof model Monza. In good ...Category
Vintage 1950s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsMetal
- Sculptural Circle Chair in Original Mohair Velvet and Black Metal Base, 1950'sLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland1950’s circle armchair in soft olive green velvet and black lacquered metal base. Designer: Unknown Manufacturer: Unknown Country: Unknown Model...Category
Vintage 1950s Scandinavian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Soriana Pouf in Original Tan Leather by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1970By Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandSoriana pouf in original tan leather by Tobia Scarpa for Cassina – Italy, circa 1970. Original leather in good condition with signs of use and patina. ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Ottomans and Poufs
MaterialsChrome
- Scandinavian Curved Sofa and Armchair in Original Mohair, Denmark, circa 1950Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-HollandCurved Danish sofa and arm lounge chair in original Mohair velvet fabric and teak legs, circa 1950. The Mohair fabric is still original and in very good condition with minor signs o...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Scandinavian Modern Sofas
MaterialsMohair, Teak
- Daybed 'Le Bambole' Mario Bellini per B&B, anni 70s, biancoBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Milano, ITDaybed anni '70 della serie 'Le Bambole' disegnato da Mario Bellini e prodotto da B&B. Rivestito con tessuto originale nei toni del bianco e del rosa ancora in buonissime condizioni,...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsFabric
- Day bed Le Bambole by Mario Bellini for B&b Italia 1972By Mario BelliniLocated in Arezzo, ItalyPair of daybed Le Bambole designed by Mario Bellini for B&b Italia 1970, reupholster in leather, linen and cotton mattress. The Bambole series won the Compasso d'Oro award in 1979....Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsLeather, Cotton, Linen
- 1970s Bamboletto Series "Le Bambole" bed daybed by Mario Bellini for B&B ItaliaBy Mario BelliniLocated in Biella, IT1970s Bamboletto Series "Le Bambole" bed and daybed by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia with document.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Daybeds
MaterialsTextile
- Le Mura 4-Seater Sofa in beige/grey velvet by Mario Bellini for Cassina, 1970sBy Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in amstelveen, NLExceptional and rare 4-piece sectional Le Mura sofa by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Italy, 1970s. The sofa is reupholstered in a Dedar Milano cotton velvet fab...Category
Vintage 1970s European Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsVelvet
- Mid-Century Modern Bambole Daybed by Mario Bellini, Suede, C&B Italia, 1970sBy Mario BelliniLocated in Brussels, BEMid-Century Modern bambole daybed by Mario Bellini, Suede, C&B Italia, 1970s Original Suede.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Daybeds
MaterialsSuede
- Rare Original Mario Bellini Le Mura Modular Sofa, Cassina, 1970sBy Mario BelliniLocated in London, GBAn original and very rare Mario Bellini Le Mura modular sofa (can also be used as two chairs), made by Cassina, Italy, 1970s. Two large seating element...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
Who Is Mario Bellini, and Why Is His 1970s Camaleonda Sofa Everywhere Right Now?
Get the lowdown on the ultrachic modular sofas that are currently taking up real estate in your Instagram saved folder.
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.