B&B Italia Collectibles and Curiosities
Italian
In 1966, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli cofounded C&B Italia, a modern Italian furniture manufacturer, with Cesare Cassina in northern Milan. From the outset, Busnelli and Cassina set about recruiting the most talented modernists in Italy to conceive of creative furnishings manufactured in modern ways. In the early 1970s, the company split, with Cassina founding his own eponymous firm and Busnelli taking leadership of what became B&B Italia.
For decades, Busnelli cultivated relationships with the world’s best design talent, resulting in furniture pieces that remain iconic 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 Mario 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.
The company’s forward-thinking vision manifested in its own headquarters, too: In 1972, B&B Italia tapped architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers to design a steel-framed, postmodern-style home for the brand, whose crisscrossing metal exoskeleton is reminiscent of the pair’s Centre Pompidou in Paris, which was built at roughly the same time. 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 a range of vintage B&B Italia furniture — including sofas, cocktail tables and more.
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Creator: B&B Italia
Italian rotary dial telephone Vintage with retro and marquetry
By B&B Italia
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Italian Vintage Rotary Dial Telephone with Marquetry
A large and rare vintage rotary dial telephone with a fine marquetry case. Shaped with a lemongrass wood purfling, it lends elega...
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1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Vintage B&B Italia Collectibles and Curiosities
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Gold Plate, Brass
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B&b Italia collectibles and curiosities for sale on 1stDibs.
B&B Italia collectibles and curiosities are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of B&B Italia collectibles and curiosities, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original collectibles and curiosities by B&B Italia were created in the mid-century modern style in italy during the 1950s. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider collectibles and curiosities by Giorgio Armani, Marco Zanuso, and Aldo Tura. Prices for B&B Italia collectibles and curiosities can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $1,141 and can go as high as $1,141, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,141.
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Questions About B&B Italia Collectibles and Curiosities
- Where is B&B Italia made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022B&B Italia makes their furniture at a company-owned factory in Novedrate, Como, Italy. The brand's headquarters are also in the city. To ensure quality, skilled artisans produce each piece by hand. On 1stDibs, shop a variety of B&B Italia furniture.
- What does R&B mean on silver?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The maker’s mark R&B is from the company Roberts & Belk. Originally known as Furniss, Poles and Turner in 1809, the company went through many different names until it landed on Roberts & Belk in 1864. Known for their silver flatware and cutlery, the brand became quite desirable. Shop a collection of authentic Roberts and Belk silver from some of the world’s top boutiques on 1stDibs.
- When was Hamilton 992B made?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022The Hamilton 992B Railroad Watch was first produced in November, 1940, nine years after design and research began. The 992B featured brand-new technologies and was made with gold, steel and gilt parts and the newly designed Elinvar Extra hairspring. The last Hamilton 992B was sold in 1969. Shop Hamilton 992B Railroad Watches from top sellers worldwide on 1stDibs.
- Is B. Altman still in business?1 Answer1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022No, B. Altman is not still in business. The last remaining B. Altman store closed in 1990 after the company went bankrupt. Benjamin Altman founded the retail department store chain in New York, New York, in 1865. On 1stDibs, shop a collection of B. Altman apparel.
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- 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022What was most innovative about Marcel Breuer's Model B3 chair was its frame. Also known as the Wassily lounge chair, the piece featured a lightweight, sturdy tubular steel frame inspired by the artist's Adler bicycle. His use of the metal started a radical shift in furniture design. You’ll find a variety of Marcel Breuer Model B3 chairs 1stDibs.