Tavolo mod. La Basilica, Mario Bellini, Cassina, 1976
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer),Cassina (Manufacturer)
- Design:
- Dimensions:Height: 29.14 in (74 cm)Width: 110.24 in (280 cm)Depth: 30.71 in (78 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1976
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Rivoli, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7863238111042
Chiara Floor Lamp
Simplicity with a smile: These words go a long way in describing the Chiara floor lamp and the work of its designer, Mario Bellini (b. 1935). A visionary who prefers hands-on experimentation, Bellini’s 1964 fixture began with models of rolled paper and concluded, in his own words, as “a nun-shaped lamp that makes the light come out of her white hat.”
Known for his openly anthropomorphic yet sophisticated designs, Bellini studied architecture at the Polytechnic University of Milan. He graduated in 1959 and quickly found a place in the northern Italian city’s flourishing design scene. In 1963, Bellini opened his own design practice and became chief industrial design consultant to Olivetti. In the ensuing years, Bellini won multiple Compasso d’Oro awards, consulted on automobile design, edited design journal Domus and created objects that span a number of fields. He designed office chairs for Vitra and lighting for Artemide, Erco and FLOS, the venturesome Italian maker that announced plans to reintroduce the Chiara floor lamp (and a table version) in 2019.
Topped with a gently curving hood that serves as a diffuser, Bellini’s original Chiara floor lamp takes the form of an elegant column made of a large single sheet of stainless steel. While the exterior’s surface is polished, the fixture’s interior is enameled in white, which supports a warm and luminous disbursement of the light that travels from the source inside the lamp’s base. The Chiara floor lamp represents Bellini’s humanist focus on our tactile experiences with an object. It is also a timeless component of his impressive design legacy.
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Rivoli, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 7 days of delivery.
- CAB Chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Set of 6By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Rivoli, ITMario Bellini 412 "CAB" dining chairs for Cassina, bordeaux leather, Italy, 1978, set of six. Very good conditions One of the most iconic Bellini's creations, "CAB" is the world’s first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the relationship between the skeleton and the skin; an authentic example of production excellence that requires multiple stages of artisan workmanship to create a trendy tailored-to-fit object. The upholstery consists of sixteen pieces of saddle leather. Individually die-cut, they then undergo fourteen discrete procedures, again by hand. The pieces are sewn together only when their outer edges have been trimmed to ensure a perfect fit. Once assembled, the cover is attached to the chair’s steel skeleton and held in place by means of a zipper fastening, as in a bespoke tailored...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Le Bambole chaise longue, Mario Bellini, 1970sBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Rivoli, IT1970s chaise longue from the 'Le Bambole' series designed by Mario Bellini and manufactured by B&B. Original fabric in shades of brown, bears the manufacture's label under the seat G...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Chaise Longues
MaterialsVelvet
- Pair of armchairs mod. Torso by Paolo Deganello for CassinaBy Paolo Deganello, CassinaLocated in Rivoli, ITPair of armchairs model Torso designed by architect Paolo Degannello and produced by Cassina in the 1980s This is how Architect Degannello describes the design of the Torso armchairs...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Coppia di comodini mod. Carimate, Vico Magistretti, anni '60By Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Rivoli, ITRara coppia di comodini serie Carimate, Vico Magistretti, anni '60 Struttura in legno tinto di rosso Abbinabili alla cassettiera della stessa serieCategory
Vintage 1960s Italian Night Stands
MaterialsWood
- Scultura di Gaetano Pesce per Cassina 1963By Gaetano Pesce, CassinaLocated in Rivoli, ITOriginal art sculpture designed by Gaetano Pesce; signed and dated 1963, Per Cassina 1968-1963. Red frame with lamented wood on metal feet.Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Abstract Sculptures
MaterialsWood
- Rara cassettiera mod. Carimate, Vico Magistretti, anni '60By Cassina, Vico MagistrettiLocated in Rivoli, ITRara cassettiera mod. Carimate disegnata da Vico Magistretti negli anni'60 Struttura in legno rosso e dettagli in ottone Ideale l'abbinamento con i comodini della stessa serieCategory
Vintage 1960s Italian Commodes and Chests of Drawers
MaterialsWood
- Mario Bellini "La Basilica" Ash Dining / Conference Table for CassinaBy Mario Bellini, Cassina, Angelo MangiarottiLocated in Grand Cayman, KYLa Basilica is an architectural dining table designed by Mario Bellini in 1978 for Cassina, Italy. Long variant, seats up to 8 chairs. It is constructed of thick solid European Ash ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood, Hardwood, Ash
- Mario Bellini La Basilica Dining Table in Ash Wood for Cassina, newBy Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Berlin, DEA designer table with an expressive name and exemplary construction, and a solid linear shape that reflects the new design language developed by Mario Bellini in the 1970s. Part of a...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsWood, Ash
- Vintage Italian Dining Table La Rotonda by Mario Bellini for Cassina 1970sBy Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe Vintage Italian Nutwood and Glass Dining Table, known as La Rotonda and designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina in the 1970s, is a stunning representation of mid-century modern des...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsGlass, Nutwood
- Mario Bellini Il Colonnato table Cassina Italy 1977By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Roosendaal, Noord BrabantStunning so called 'II Colonnato' dining table designed by Mario Bellini and manufactured by Cassina in Italy in 1977. It's made from solid Persian travertine, which has a beautiful ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsTravertine
- Mario Bellini Carrara Marble Dining Table for CassinaBy Cassina, Mario Bellini, B&B Italia, C&B Italia, Angelo MangiarottiLocated in Los Angeles, CA'Il Colonnato' round dining table in Carrara marble by Mario Bellini for Cassina. The table features a thick round white marble top with distinct gray veining. There are five thick c...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsStone, Marble, Carrara Marble
- Mario Bellini La Rotonda Dining or Coffee Table in Wood Marble for CassinaBy Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Berlin, DEPrice is dependent on the chosen material and size. Available in 125 diameter x 43cm height OR 165 diameter x 71.5 - 74cm height (exact height of the table varies upon the chosen m...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsMarble
Recently Viewed
View AllRead More
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.
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.