Excelsior" Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italy, 1985
View Similar Items
Excelsior" Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italy, 1985
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer),B&B Italia (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 33.08 in (84 cm)Width: 88.59 in (225 cm)Depth: 31.89 in (81 cm)Seat Height: 18.9 in (48 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:Leather,Other
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1985
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Melbourne, AU
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2201324001632
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.
B&B Italia
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.
- Ennio Chiggio 'Environ One' Sofa for Nikol International, Italy, 1970sBy Ennio ChiggioLocated in Melbourne, VICThe Environ One Sofa by Ennio Chiggio for Nikol International, 1970, is a rare vintage piece of furniture that exemplifies the best of Mid-Century Modern desi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool
- ABCD 3 Seater Sofa by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, Netherlands, 1969By Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in Melbourne, VICThe ABCD sofa, designed by Pierre Paulin in 1968, is indeed a remarkable piece of furniture that exemplifies his innovative and forward-thinking approach to design. This sofa is high...Category
20th Century Dutch Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- ABCD 2 Seater sofa by Pierre Paulin for Artifort, Netherlands, 1969By Artifort, Pierre PaulinLocated in Melbourne, VICThe ABCD sofa, designed by Pierre Paulin in 1968, is indeed a remarkable piece of furniture that exemplifies his innovative and forward-thinking approach to design. This sofa is high...Category
20th Century Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Soriana Lounge Chair by Afra & Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy, 1970'sBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Melbourne, VICThe Soriana Lounge Chair, a timeless creation by Italian designers Afra and Tobia Scarpa in 1969, is a masterpiece of furniture design. Its signature features include soft, inviting ...Category
20th Century Italian Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- DS600 Modular Non Stop Sofa by Ueli Berger for De Sede. Set of 20 PiecesBy De Sede, Eleanora Peduzzi-Riva, Heinz Ulrich, and Ueli BergerLocated in Melbourne, VICThe DS-600, affectionately known as the "Non Stop" sofa, is a design masterpiece that emerged in 1972 through the collaborative efforts of Ueli Berger, Eleonore Peduzzi-Riva, Heinz U...Category
20th Century Swiss Sofas
MaterialsSuede
- DS600 Modular Non Stop Sofa by Ueli Berger for De Sede. Set of 22 PiecesBy De Sede, Ueli BergerLocated in Melbourne, VICThe DS-600, affectionately known as the "Non Stop" sofa, is a design masterpiece that emerged in 1972 through the collaborative efforts of Ueli Berger, Eleonore Peduzzi-Riva, Heinz U...Category
20th Century Swiss Sofas
MaterialsSuede
- Stunning Excelsior sofa in black leather by Mario Bellini for B&B Italy, 1985.By Mario BelliniLocated in Buggenhout, Oost-VlaanderenStunning & rare Excelsior sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italy, 1985. Full black leather! Still 100% original. No damage. The leather has some normal wear for its age. Measurement...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- "Camaleonda" Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970sBy B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Lasne, BESofa in green fabric. There are 4 large pieces and an ottoman. Seat height: 35 cm. Dimensions of one piece: H: 65 cm W: 93 cm D: 93 cm Dimensions of the ottoman : H : 35 cm W : 93 cm...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Bambole Sofas by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1980sBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Renens, CHIconic set of two seater sofas by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, originating from the 1980s. We have selected Musco, a dark blue mohair from De Ploeg, the Netherlands: Mohair has ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
$9,452 / item - Camaleonda Sofa by Mario Bellini Original for C & B Italia, Italy, 1970sBy B&B Italia, Mario Bellini, C&B ItaliaLocated in Milan, ITCamaleonda sofa by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, circa 1970s. This iconic sofa features four seat elements with four back-rests. The Camaleonda became instantly famous when introduc...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsSuede, Fabric
- “Camaleonda” Modular Sofa in 3 Segments by Mario Bellini for B&B, Italy 1971By Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Utrecht, NLThe “Camaleonda” (Italian word play combining the words ‘chameleon’ and ‘wave’) sofa is Mario Bellini’s contemporary classic. The playful, modular design offers endless options for t...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- “Camaleonda” Modular Sofa in 4 Segments by Mario Bellini for B&B, Italy 1971By B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Utrecht, NLThe “Camaleonda” (Italian word play on ‘chameleon’ and ‘wave’) sofa is Mario Bellini’s contemporary classic. The playful, modular design offers endless options for the user, which al...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
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.
Rooms We Love: 11 Splendid Living Rooms
Common wisdom used to declare the kitchen the hub of the house. These days, the living room seems to have assumed the role of domestic focal point. Unlike the Victorian parlor, stiffly furnished and reserved for guests, today’s living room is a central place for reading, conversation and, well, living, with furnishings that lend themselves to both casual lounging and elegant entertaining.