Pianura Armchair in Black Leather by Mario Bellini for Cassina, 1970s
About the Item
- Creator:Casina (Manufacturer),Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 25.99 in (66 cm)Width: 37.8 in (96 cm)Depth: 40.95 in (104 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Condition - Good Comments - Light wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Ixelles, BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7251238287192
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. He has been the recipient of multiple prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards, and 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 Mario Bellini furniture — including dining tables, armchairs, mid-century sofas and more — today on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Forest, Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Set of Nesting Tables by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, 1970sBy Cassina, Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Ixelles, BruxellesSet of Nesting Tables by Gianfranco Frattini for Cassina, 1970s Designer - Gianfranco Frattini Producer - Cassina Model - Nesting Tables Design Period - Seventies Measurements - Wid...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables
MaterialsSmoked Glass, Wood
- Pair of 54 L Armchairs by Gae Aulenti for Knoll International, 1970sBy Knoll, Gae AulentiLocated in Ixelles, BruxellesDesigner - Gae Aulenti Producer - Knoll Model - 54 L Armchairs Design Period - Seventies Measurements - Width 70 cm x Depth 61 cm x Height 77 cm x Seat Height 35 cm Materials - Leat...Category
Vintage 1970s German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Saffo Table Lamp by Angelo Mangiarotti for Artemide, 1970sBy Artemide, Angelo MangiarottiLocated in Ixelles, BruxellesDesigner - Angelo Mangiarotti Producer - Artemide Model - Saffo Table Lamp Design Period - Seventies Measurements - Width 21 cm x Depth 21 cm x Height 33 cm Materials - Glass, Alumi...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Focus Table Lamp by Fabio Lenci for Guzzini, 1970sBy Fabio LenciLocated in Ixelles, BruxellesFocus table lamp by Fabio Lenci for Guzzini, 1970s. Designer - Fabio Lenci. Producer - Guzzini. Model - Focus Table Lamp. Design Period - Seventies. Measurements - width 35 cm x...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- Flower Table Lamp by Studio D.A. for Lamperti, 1970sBy Studio D.A. 1, LampertiLocated in Ixelles, BruxellesFlower Table Lamp by Studio D.A. for Lamperti, 1970s Designer - Cesare Casati & C. Emanuele Ponzio (Studio D.A.) Producer - Lamperti Design Period - Seventies Measurements - Width 1...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Space Age Table Lamps
MaterialsPlastic
- Shogun Floorlamp by Mario Botta for Artemide, 1980sBy Mario Botta, ArtemideLocated in Ixelles, BruxellesDesigner - Mario Botta Producer - Artemide Model - Shogun Floor Lamp Design Period - Eigthies Measurements - Width 33 cm x Depth 35 cm x Height 214 cm Materials - Cast Iron, Steel C...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
MaterialsMetal
- ‘Pianura’ Modular Sofa by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Italy 1970sBy Mario BelliniLocated in Chicago, ILA 4-piece ‘Pianura’ sofa designed by iconic Italian designer Mario Bellini for Cassina. This sofa features a solid walnut wooden frame which has been refinished. It retains it’s orig...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- 1970s Italian Cab Armchair by Mario Bellini for Cassina in Black LeatherBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Sagaponack, NYAn Italian Mid-Century Modern armchair designed by Mario Bellini featuring handstitched black leather upholstery wrapped over internal steel frame. Manufactured by Cassina in Italy, ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather
- Mario Bellini CAB 414Settee by Mario Bellini for CassinaBy Casina, Mario BelliniLocated in Hudson, NYArm chairs SOLD settee designed by Mario Bellini in 1979 for Cassina, Italy. Steel frame covered with a thick black leather. Stamped with Cassina logo.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Settees
MaterialsLeather
- Original 932-Quartet Leather Sectional Sofa by Mario Bellini for Cassina, 1964By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Los Angeles, CAIt doesn't get much cooler than this early year (original) collectors set of the model-932 'Quartet' sectional by Mario Bellini for Cassina. Released in 1964, this example has incred...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Canvas
- Mario Bellini for Cassina 'Cab 414' Leather Lounge Chair, Signed, circa 1980sBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Los Angeles, CAA beautiful black leather Mario Bellini Cab lounge chair, Model #414, signed Cassina, designed in the 1970s. These fine examples of the cab line by Mario Bellini for Cassina are classic staples for luxury interior designers and collectors alike, these lounge variations of the design are larger and deeper than the similar dining armchair, and have the addition of the seat cushion. Signed underneath with Cassina embossing to the leather. Mario Bellini described the 1970s bestselling design for the Cab collection as “This was a new kind of chair, constructed totally out of leather, much cloned since then.” and is now a signature piece in Cassina’s Contemporanei collection. Cab was the first-ever chair to feature a free-standing leather structure, inspired by how our skin fits over our skeleton. The upholstery consists of sixteen pieces of saddle leather. 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 1980s Italian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- CAB 413 cognac leather armchair by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Italy 1970sBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Milano, ITCAB 413 cognac leather armchair by Mario Bellini for Cassina, Italy 1970s The Cab 413 chair represents the pioneering realization of the world's first chair with a self-supporting l...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsLeather