Pair of "Cab" Side Chairs by Mario Bellini
View Similar Items
Pair of "Cab" Side Chairs by Mario Bellini
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80.01 cm)Width: 18.5 in (46.99 cm)Depth: 16 in (40.64 cm)Seat Height: 18 in (45.72 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:Seller: 24141stDibs: LU79461547962
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.
- Pair of 2 "Le Bambole" Armchair Designed by Mario Bellini for C&B, 1972By Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe Mario Bellini "Le Bambole" Lounge Chair, produced by B&B Italia in the 1970s, is an iconic piece of Italian design. Characterized by its distinctive and innovative form, the chai...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Foam
- Mario Bellini Le Bambole Lounge Chair, B&B Italia, 1970sBy Mario BelliniLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe Mario Bellini "Le Bambole" Lounge Chair, produced by B&B Italia in the 1970s, is an iconic piece of Italian design. Characterized by its distinctive and innovative form, the chai...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Textile, Foam
- "Opera" Round Dining Table Drawn by Mario BelliniBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Los Angeles, CA"Opera" round dining table drawn by Mario Bellini and Manufactured by Meritalia Crafted of solid oak, this large round dining table designed by Mario Bellini has an uncommon and scu...Category
2010s Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsGlass, Wood
$17,600 Sale Price20% Off - "Le Bambole" Armchair Designed by Mario Bellini for B&B, 1972By Mario BelliniLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe Mario Bellini "Le Bambole" Lounge Chair, produced by B&B Italia in the 1970s, is an iconic piece of Italian design. Characterized by its distinctive and innovative form, the chai...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Mario Bellini for B&B Italia 'Le Bambole' Loveseat, Italy, 1972By Mario BelliniLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis comfortable brown original fabric settee is bulky and playful, shaped as if it is merely a large cushion and the accompanying feeling is the same. It is designed by Mario Bellin...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Loveseats
MaterialsFabric, Foam, Wood
$7,840 Sale Price20% Off - Mario Bellini for B&B Italia 'Le Bambole' Loveseat. Italy , 1972By Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis comfortable Flowers fabric settee is bulky and playful, shaped as if it is merely a large cushion and the accompanying feeling is the same. It is designed by Mario Bellini and w...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Foam
- Mario Bellini Cab ChairBy Mario BelliniLocated in Los Angeles, CAMario Bellini cab chair manufactured by Cassina Italy, circa 1970’s Buttery soft Oxblood leather Light surface markings on the seat Perfectly ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Chairs
MaterialsLeather
$2,500 - Mario Bellini "Cab" ChairsBy Mario BelliniLocated in Beverly Hills, CAClassic leather cab chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina. Wonderful patina to black leather. Rare set of 10 available - Priced as a setCategory
Vintage 1980s Italian Chairs
MaterialsLeather
$27,000 / set - Mario Bellini "Cab" ChairsBy Mario BelliniLocated in Beverly Hills, CAClassic leather cab chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina in cognac reddish leather. Wonderful patina. Set of four available. Priced individually.Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Chairs
MaterialsLeather
$2,500 / item - Set of 4 CAB Chairs by Mario Bellini for CassinaBy Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Vlimmeren, BEThe CAB chair was designed by Mario Bellini in 1977 for Cassina, Italy. Mario Bellini (1935) is an Italian designer and architect. The chair has a skeleton in tubular steel and the ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$5,438 / set - Mario Bellini "CAB 413" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1977, Set of 6By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "CAB 413" dining chairs for Cassina, black leather, Italy, 1977, set of six. The "CAB" is the world's first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the relatio...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mario Bellini "CAB 413" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1977, Set of 6By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "CAB 413" dining chairs for Cassina, hazelnut leather, Italy, 1977, set of six. The "CAB" is the world's first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the rela...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel