Cab 412 Chair by Mario Bellini for Cassina
View Similar Items
Cab 412 Chair by Mario Bellini for Cassina
About the Item
- Creator:Cassina (Manufacturer),Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.29 in (82 cm)Width: 20.48 in (52 cm)Depth: 19.3 in (49 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
- Style:Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1978
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Athens, GR
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6596230913872
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.
Cassina
Furniture manufacturer Cassina is a prolific design house for more reasons than one: It not only owns the licenses to an exquisite collection of iconic chairs, sofas, tables and other pieces from the 20th and 21st centuries but also produces original works that are characterized by innovation and the finest Italian craftsmanship.
Cassina’s illustrious legacy includes being one of the first companies to bring industrial design to Italy in the 1950s. Founded in 1927 in Meda, Italy, by brothers Cesare and Umberto Cassina, the Italian manufacturing giant originally specialized in bespoke woodworking. In nearly a century since its founding, the company has shown incredible foresight about design trends and the evolution of technology.
In 1964, Cassina signed an exclusive licensing agreement to manufacture furniture by Le Corbusier and his collaborators — such as the LC4 chaise longue made with trailblazing French modernist Charlotte Perriand and Pierre Jeanneret — a move that would shape the future of the company. Cassina’s I Maestri collection is an ongoing initiative to restyle landmark designs from the 20th century, such as pieces by Gerrit Rietveld (the Red and Blue armchair from 1918), Charles Rennie Mackintosh, Erik Gunnar Asplund, Franco Albini and Frank Lloyd Wright. The company preserves the intentions and original styles of their designs but adds updated techniques, materials and processes — rendering them the best possible combination of past, present and future. The brand has also worked with contemporary icons like Zaha Hadid, Gio Ponti and Philippe Starck.
Cassina’s original designs are cutting-edge as well. They include pieces for everyday use, the development of which is guided by comfort and the marriage of Italian craftsmanship with industrial technology.
Some of Cassina’s pieces, both from its contemporary and I Maestri collections, can be found in the collections of museums like the Museum of Modern Art and the Vitra Design Museum. In 2014, the company became part of Haworth in its acquisition of Italian furniture group Poltrona Frau, and in 2015, Spanish designer Patricia Urquiola joined Cassina as its art director, leading the brand into its next century of inventive style.
Find a collection of new and vintage Cassina furniture on 1stDibs.
- Figura Office Chair Designed by Mario Bellini for Vitra, Italy, 1984By Vitra, Mario BelliniLocated in Athens, AttikiFigura chair designed by Mario Bellini for Vitra, Italy 1984. Figura combines three important ergonomic functions in one chair, creating the optimum requ...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Post-Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Le Stelle armchair by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1974.By Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Athens, AttikiLe Stelle armchair by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1974. Awards:Moma, Design Study Collection,New York. Elastic membranes, polyurethane cartilage, straps. Muscles flexed by a light ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric
- Le Bambole armchair by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 2022By B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Athens, AttikiB&B Italia’s Le Bambola has received a radical redesign for its 50th anniversary by its original designer, Italian architect Mario Bellini. Le bambola was designed in 1972 and awarde...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Area table lamp by Mario Bellini for Artemide, Italy 1974.By Mario Bellini, ArtemideLocated in Athens, AttikiArea table lamp by Mario Bellini for Artemide, Italy 1974. Very good conditionCategory
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Table Lamps
MaterialsPaper, Ceramic
- Plia chair designed by Giancarlo Piretti for CastelliBy Castelli, Giancarlo PirettiLocated in Athens, AttikiPlia chair with smoked brown transparent plexi glass, 1980s. Designed by Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli in 1967. It's an award-winning design classic. With...Category
Vintage 1980s Italian Modern Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- Glossy stacking chair by Gerd Lange for Drabert, 1980sBy Gerd Lange, DrabertLocated in Athens, AttikiBlack glossy stacking chair SM400 by Gerd Lange for West German manufacturer Drabert, 1980s. Gerd Lange's chairs have been extremely successful.He had a decisive influence on the des...Category
Vintage 1980s German Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Mario Bellini 412 "CAB" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1978, Set of 8By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini 412 "CAB" dining chairs for Cassina, Red Bulgaro leather, Italy, 1978, set of eight. The "CAB" is the world's first free-standing cowhide design chair, informed by the relationship between the skeleton and the skin; an authentic example of production excellence that requires multiple stages of artisan craftsmanship to create a trendy tailored-to-fit object. The "CAB" are high-quality chairs with hand-stitched natural leather upholstery wrapped over an internal steel frame. The only additional reinforcement is provided by a rubber membrane plate that supports the seat. Bellini's innovation lay in using zips to fasten the leather cover to its frame; a zip runs up the inside of each leg, sealing the cover. We can do custom restoration and special reupholstering. Our atelier guarantees the excellence of Italy through the traditional art of craftsmanship. We do offer a dedicated customization service thanks to our team of expert craftsmen and artisans. Contact Modernab Gallery...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Mario Bellini 412 "CAB" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1978, Set of 6By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini 412 "CAB" dining chairs for Cassina, vintage edition in China red leather, Italy, 1978, set of six. The "CAB" is the world's first free-stan...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Mario Bellini 412 "CAB" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1978, Set of 4By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini 412 "Cab" dining chairs for Cassina, hazelnut leather, Italy, 1978, set of four. High-quality chairs consist of handstitched natural leather...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mario Bellini 412 "CAB" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1978, Set of 12By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini 412 "CAB" dining chairs for Cassina, vintage edition in China red leather, Italy, 1978, set of 12. The "CAB" is the world's first free-stand...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Mario Bellini 412 "CAB" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1978, Set of 16By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini 412 "CAB" dining chairs for Cassina, hazelnut leather, Italy, 1978, set of sixteen. High-quality chairs consist of handstitched natural leather upholstery wrapped over...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mario Bellini 412 "CAB" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1978, Set of 14By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini 412 "CAB" dining chairs for Cassina, hazelnut leather, Italy, 1978, set of fourteen. High-quality chairs consist of handstitched natural leather upholstery wrapped ove...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
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.
The 21 Most Popular Mid-Century Modern Chairs
You know the designs, now get the stories about how they came to be.