Camaleonda Modular Sofa by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, Italy, 1971
View Similar Items
Camaleonda Modular Sofa by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, Italy, 1971
About the Item
- Creator:C&B Italia (Maker),Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 25.6 in (65 cm)Width: 106.3 in (270 cm)Depth: 35.44 in (90 cm)Seat Height: 14.97 in (38 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1971
- Condition:
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: D1861stDibs: LU1420211828173
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.
- Giuseppe Munari modular sofa for Poltronova, Italy 1970sBy PoltronovaLocated in London, GBModule: H65 W90 D90cm Corner module: H65 W140 D95cm This modular sofa by Guiseppe Munari resembles that of a cloud, both in form and comfort. Designed...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMohair, Foam
- Mario Bellini Il Collonato Marble TableBy Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in London, GBLarge round Il Colonnato table, designed by Milanese architect Mario Bellini. The table is a sought after piece, perhaps due to the monumental presence...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Center Tables
MaterialsTravertine
- Carlo Scarpa Cornaro sofa for Gavina, Italy 1970sBy Tobia Scarpa, GavinaLocated in London, GBCarlo Scarpa (1906-1978) was an architect who mastered materials, detail, and light. He is most famous for Castelvecchio Museum in Verona, the Olivetti showroom in Venice and the Brion Tomb in San Vito d’Altivole. The Cornaro sofa embodies the intentions of its designer to combine Japanese minimalism...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsMohair, Wood
- Afra and Tobia Scarpa Soriana Sofa for Cassina, Italy, 1970sBy Cassina, Afra & Tobia ScarpaLocated in London, GBWinner of the compasso d’oro award in 1970, the Soriana led Italian couple Afra and Tobia Scarpa to instant success. Together in 1968 they designed a three seater cloud-like sofa for...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Raphael Raffel Croissant sofa for Maison Honoré, Paris 1970sBy Raphael Raffel, Maison HonoréLocated in London, GBRaphaël Raffel (1912-2000) studied at the École des Beaux Arts and became a renown interior designer from the 1940s to the end of the twentieth century. His shop in Paris attracted a...Category
Vintage 1970s French Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Burkhard Vogtherr Sofa Mecum Tecum for Rosenthal, Germany, 1972By Burkhard Vogtherr, RosenthalLocated in London, GBBurkhard Vogtherr (1942-2019) once stated “I would like to become simpler and simpler. To me this means better and better.” As a young man, Vogtherr had trained as an industrial desi...Category
Vintage 1970s German Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery
$15,620 Sale Price34% Off
- Mario Bellini for C&B Italia 'Camaleonda' Modular Sofa, 1970By Mario Bellini, C&B ItaliaLocated in New York, NY'Camaleonda' modular sofa, designed by Mario Bellini, for C&B Italia, 1970. The structure is constructed of wood and upholstery in fabric. Original label. Prod. C&B, Italia, Noved...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Camaleonda Sofa by Mario Bellini Original for C & B Italia, Italy, 1970sBy B&B Italia, C&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated 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
- Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" Modular Sofa for B&B Italia, 1970By B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "Camaleonda" modular sofa for B&B Italia, velvet, metal and plastic, Italy, 1970, four elements. "Camaleonda" is an icon, rediscover...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" Modular Sofa for B&B Italia, 1970By B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "Camaleonda" modular sofa for B&B Italia, velvet, metal and plastic, Italy, 1970, three elements. "Camaleonda" is an icon, rediscove...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" Modular Sofa for B&B Italia, 1970By Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "Camaleonda" modular sofa for B&B Italia, velvet, metal and plastic, Italy, 1970, four elements. "Camaleonda" is an icon, rediscover...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Mario Bellini "Camaleonda" Modular Sofa for B&B Italia, 1970By B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini "Camaleonda" modular sofa for B&B Italia, velvet, metal and plastic, Italy, 1970, three elements. "Camaleonda" is an icon, rediscov...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sectional Sofas
MaterialsMetal