Divano ''Le Bambole'' di Mario Bellini per B&B Italia, 1970s
About the Item
- Creator:B&B Italia (Manufacturer),Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 65.75 in (167 cm)Depth: 32.68 in (83 cm)Seat Height: 19.69 in (50 cm)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Reupholstered.
- Seller Location:Quarrata, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7860238860652
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.
B&B Italia
In 1966, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli cofounded C&B Italia, a modern Italian furniture manufacturer, with Cesare Cassina in northern Milan. From the outset, Busnelli and Cassina set about recruiting the most talented modernists in Italy to conceive of creative furnishings manufactured in modern ways. In the early 1970s, the company split, with Cassina founding his own eponymous firm and Busnelli taking leadership of what became B&B Italia.
For decades, Busnelli cultivated relationships with the world’s best design talent, resulting in furniture pieces that remain iconic today — be they Gaetano Pesce’s outwardly curvaceous Up seating (made for C&B, reintroduced by B&B) or tables from industrial designer Paolo Piva, each more sophisticated than the next in their geometrically complex steel-tube bases. B&B Italia earned four prestigious Compasso d’Oro design awards: in 1979 for Mario Bellini’s Le Bambole, in 1984 for the Sisamo wardrobe system by Studio Kairos, in 1987 for Antonio Citterio’s modular Sity sofa and, in 1989, the first award given to a manufacturing company itself.
Other notable names who designed for B&B Italia over the course of its 54-year history include Patricia Urquiola, Naoto Fukasawa, Zaha Hadid, Ettore Sottsass and Vincent Van Duysen, to name a very few. And while these names bring star power to the B&B brand, in many cases, it was B&B Italia who helped usher in their celebrity, fostering a wave of design talent on the world stage.
The company’s forward-thinking vision manifested in its own headquarters, too: In 1972, B&B Italia tapped architects Renzo Piano and Richard Rogers to design a steel-framed, postmodern-style home for the brand, whose crisscrossing metal exoskeleton is reminiscent of the pair’s Centre Pompidou in Paris, which was built at roughly the same time. Now, B&B Italia manages a contract division and outdoor section as well as its residential arm, and it also controls production for Maxalto, a brand spun out with furniture designs by Antonio Citterio.
At 1stDibs, find a range of vintage B&B Italia furniture — including sofas, cocktail tables and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Quarrata, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- ''Le Bambole'' sofa by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, 1960sBy C&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Quarrata, ITStunning two seating sofa ''Le Bambole'' designed by Mario Bellini and manufactured by C&B Italia from the late 1960s. It has been newly upholstered with first quality leather and ha...Category
Vintage 1960s Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Jute
- ''Le Bambole'' sofa by Mario Bellini for C&B/B&B Italia, 1970s, set of 5By B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Quarrata, ITModular sofa model ''Le Bambole'' by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, B&B Italia, 1970s. Composed of 5 elements of which two corner elements can form different compositions.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sectional Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Rubber
- Ceramica di Bertoncello, 1970sBy BertoncelloLocated in Quarrata, ITVaso in ceramica produzione Bertocello, Italia, 1970s.Category
Vintage 1970s Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- Carrello bar in legno ''CR20'' di Franco Albini per Poggi, Italia, 1958By Poggi, Franco AlbiniLocated in Quarrata, ITCarrello bar disegnato da Franco Albini per Poggi, struttura in legno. Produzione Poggi, Italia, 1958.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Carts and Bar Carts
MaterialsWood
- Sesann leather sofa by Giancarlo Frattini for Cassina, Italy, 1970sBy Cassina, Gianfranco FrattiniLocated in Quarrata, ITThree seating sofa designed by Gianfranco Frattini and produced by Cassina in Italy during the 1970s. This sofa has been reupholstered in brown first quality leather and has its orig...Category
Vintage 1970s Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Contenitori in ottone di Gabriella Crespi, 1970s, set di 2By Gabriella CrespiLocated in Quarrata, ITContenitori in ottone di Gabriella Crespi, 1970s, set di 2.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Tableware
MaterialsBrass
- Mario Bellini, Le Bambole, Sofa, B&B Italia, 1970sBy B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Milano, LombardiaIntroducing the Le Bambole sofa by renowned designer Mario Bellini, upholstered in luxurious bouclé fabric, an exquisite addition to elevate any interior space. With its sleek lines ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsBouclé
- Mario Bellini Le Bambole Sofa, Upholstered in Alpaca, B&B Italia, 1970sBy B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in London, GBA beautiful Mario Bellini Le Bambole sofa, produced by B&B Italia, Italy in the 1970s, newly upholstered in luxurious 100% alpaca. Marked on the underside. Fast shipping worldwide.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsAlpaca
- Mario Bellini Le Bambole Sofa, Upholstered in Alpaca, B&B Italia, 1970sBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in London, GBA beautiful Mario Bellini Le Bambole sofa, newly upholstered in luxury cream alpaca velvet, produced by B&B Italia, Italy in the 1970s. Marked on the underside. Fast shipping world...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsAlpaca
- 1970s Mario Bellini Le Bambole Two-Seat Sofas, a Pair From B&B ItaliaBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Raleigh, NCPair of 1970s Mario Bellini Le Bambole Sofas, B&B Italia An icon newly restored. This pair feature Pollack Textiles "Modern Dance" Upholstery(black on light khaki). 66" long, 36" ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsUpholstery
- Bambole Modular Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970sBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Rotterdam, NL‘Le Bambole’ modular sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, Italy 1972. Early edition, which varies from the newer production; the original shape is mor...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- 1970s Mario Bellini 3-Piece Bambole Sofa Set for B&B ItaliaBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Grand Cayman, KYDiscover the timeless Organic Modern elegance of the original 1970s Le Bambole Italian sofa set with beige woven wool upholstery in superb condition. A Mid-Century Modern Italian ma...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Organic Modern Sofas
MaterialsWool, Upholstery
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.
Rooms We Love: 11 Splendid Living Rooms
Common wisdom used to declare the kitchen the hub of the house. These days, the living room seems to have assumed the role of domestic focal point. Unlike the Victorian parlor, stiffly furnished and reserved for guests, today’s living room is a central place for reading, conversation and, well, living, with furnishings that lend themselves to both casual lounging and elegant entertaining.