1977 CAB Chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina
View Similar Items
1977 CAB Chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.5 in (80 cm)Width: 18.51 in (47 cm)Depth: 16.15 in (41 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1977
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Weesp, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU146423182562
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.
- Nutwood and Glass Dining Table La Rotonda by Mario Bellini for CassinaBy Mario BelliniLocated in Weesp, NLStunning solid Nutwood and glass round dining table La Rotanda designed by Mario Bellini in 1977 for the renown Italian furniture manufacturer...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Tables
MaterialsGlass, Nutwood
- Mid-Century Modern Jatoba Dining ChairsLocated in Weesp, NLElegant Jatoba dining chairs produced in the 1960's. The Jatoba frame has been sanded and waxed and is in great condition. The chairs are extremely light. Each chairs weighs 2.5 kilo...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPatent Leather, Wood
- Brass and Red Velvet Midcentury Chiavari ChairsLocated in Weesp, NLMidcentury brass and red velvet Chiavari chairs produced in Chiavari Italy in the 1950s. Both chairs are in great vintage condition and have been re-upholstered in a gorgeous red ve...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
$3,023 / set - Four Mid-Century Modern Hans Wegner PP 203 Oak and Wenge ChairsBy Hans J. WegnerLocated in Weesp, NLA rare and stunning set of PP 203 chairs designed by Hans Wegner in 1969 and produced in that very begin period. The set is in great condition and over the past 40 years the oakwood has been treated with oil. A set like this from the late 1960s-early 1970s is almost impossible to come by. The pp201/pp203 combines the aesthetics of the pp701...Category
Late 20th Century Danish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Oak, Wood
- Mid-Century Modern Chairs by Pozzi and VergaBy Pozzi & VergaLocated in Weesp, NLPozzi and Verga Mid-Century Modern chairs. Beautiful sculptural black lacquered mid-century chairs by Pozzi e Verga, Italy. The chairs are in great condition and have been reupholste...Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
$6,596 / set - Early Edition Hill House Chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh for Cassina ItalyBy CassinaLocated in Weesp, NLIntroducing the Timeless Elegance of the 1980's Hill House Chair by Charles Rennie Mackintosh! Step back in time and embrace the exquisite craftsmanship of the early 1980's Hill Hou...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Art Nouveau Side Chairs
MaterialsVelvet, Wood
- Mario Bellini "CAB 413" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1977By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "CAB 413" dining chairs for Cassina, Bordeaux leather, Italy, 1977. The "CAB" is the world's first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the relationship bet...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mario Bellini "CAB 413" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1977By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "CAB 413" dining chairs for Cassina, dark brown Tobacco leather, Italy, 1977. The "CAB" is the world's first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the relati...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mario Bellini "CAB 413" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1977By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "CAB 413" dining chairs for Cassina, mustard yellow leather, Italy, 1977. The "CAB" is the world's first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the relationsh...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- 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 8By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "CAB 413" dining chairs for Cassina, Bordeaux leather, Italy, 1977, set of eight. The "CAB" is the world's first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the re...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mario Bellini "CAB 413" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1977, Set of 8By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "CAB 413" dining chairs for Cassina, black leather, Italy, 1977, set of eight. The "CAB" is the world's first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the relat...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
