Camaleonda Sofa 8 modules + Ottoman by M. Bellini for C&B Italia, Italy 1970s
About the Item
- Creator:C&B Italia (Workshop/Studio),Mario Bellini (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 25.6 in (65 cm)Width: 37.41 in (95 cm)Depth: 37.41 in (95 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 8
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use. Reupholstered in early 2000s with top quality leather, in near perfect condition.
- Seller Location:Roma, IT
- Reference Number:
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.
C&B Italia
In 1966, Piero Ambrogio Busnelli cofounded C&B Italia, a modern Italian furniture manufacturer, with Cesare Cassina in northern Milan. The Camaleonda sofa — a darling of the design world — is an iconic C&B piece created in 1970 by Milanese architect and designer Mario Bellini, which became a hit after its star turn in the 1972 exhibition “Italy: The New Domestic Landscape” at New York’s Museum of Modern Art. Soon afterward, however, the company split, with Cassina founding his own eponymous firm and Busnelli taking leadership of what became B&B Italia.
From the outset at C&B, Busnelli and Cassina set about recruiting the most talented modernists in Italy to conceive of creative furnishings manufactured in modern ways. As B&B, for decades, Busnelli cultivated relationships with the world’s best design talent, resulting in furniture pieces that remain legendary 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 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. 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 vintage C&B Italia furniture including sofas, armchairs, tables and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Rome, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Nine Amanta Armchairs by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, Italy 1973By C&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Roma, ITNine Amanta Armchairs by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, Italy 1973. Manufacturer label under the base. Plastic and padded leather. Very rare set manufactured by C&B, then replaced ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Vintage Sofa "Gradual Lounge" by Cini Boeri for Knoll Gavina, Italy, 1970sBy Knoll, Cini Boeri, GavinaLocated in Roma, ITVintage Sofa "Gradual Lounge" is an original design item realized it Italy in 1970s. Top Rare sofa, designed by Cini Boeri for Knowll Gavina. A totally innovative modular syste...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
MaterialsLeather
- Anfibio Leather Sofa by Alessandro Becchi, Italy, 1970sBy Alessandro Becchi, GiovannettiLocated in Roma, ITAnfibio 2 seats sofa is a design furniture realized by Alessandro Becchi for Giovannetti in the 1970s. Camel Leather upholstery Dimensions: 80 x 170 x 65 cm Iconic convertible sof...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
MaterialsWood, Leather
- Vintage Sofa "Okay" by Adriano Piazzesi, Italy, 1970sBy Adriano Piazzesi, Space Age ProductsLocated in Roma, ITThis "Okay" Sofa is an original design furniture piece realized by Adriano Piazzesi for Space Age, Italy 1970s. Dimensions: L 210 cm. H 80 / P 90 H Seat 38 cm Very good condition. A...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsSteel
- Relax Sofa Set by Marco Zanuso for Poltronova, 1970sBy Poltronova, Marco ZanusoLocated in Roma, ITRelax sofa set is a set of tree realized by Marco Zanuso (1916-2001) for Poltronova in 1970s. Leather, wood, metal. Ashtrays on arms. Coach; height...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Soriana Three Seater Sofa by Afra and Tobia Scarpa for Cassina, Italy 1970sBy Afra & Tobia Scarpa, CassinaLocated in Roma, ITSoriana Three Seater Sofa for Cassina, Italy 1970s. Black Leather, original Cassina Label. Outstanding piece in near perfect condition, with origin...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Sofas
MaterialsMetal
- Camaleonda Sofa by Mario Bellini Original for C & B Italia, Italy, 1970sBy C&B Italia, B&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 for C&B Italia 'Camaleonda' Modular Sofa, 1970By C&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated 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 for B&B Italia, 1970sBy B&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Lasne, BESofa in green fabric. There are 4 large pieces and an ottoman. Seat height: 35 cm. Dimensions of one piece: H: 65 cm W: 93 cm D: 93 cm Dimensions of the ottoman : H : 35 cm W : 93 cm...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric
- Camaleonda Red Sofa by Mario Bellini for B&B Italia, 1970sBy Mario Bellini, B&B ItaliaLocated in Padova, ITThe “Camaleonda” (Chameleon) sofa is Mario Bellini’s contemporary classic. The playful, modular design offers endless options for the user, which also inspired the model’s name. C...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Cord, Foam
- Amanta Modular Leather Sofa by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, Italy, 1970s, PairBy Mario Bellini, C&B ItaliaLocated in Lucija, SIA pair of 'Amanta' leather and fiberglass lounge chairs, originally designed in Italy by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia in 1966. The design was extremely popular and in great demand, with a waitlist for eager purchasers. The 'Amanta' was produced as a modular piece so you can place the two together to form a small sofa or stand alone as lounge chairs. The flexibility was made possible by the strategically placed vertical slit in the backrest. With their original leather upholstery that is wonderful vintage condition. The curved and molded shells that hold the cushions are made of white fiberglass and rest upon black fiberglass ball...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsLeather, Fiberglass, Foam
- Amanta Modular Sofa Designed by Mario Bellini for C&B Italia, Italy, 1970s, PairBy C&B Italia, Mario BelliniLocated in Lucija, SIMid Century Amanta modular sofa, made in the 70s in Italy. Designed by Mario Bellini for C&B Italy. Pair In good vintage condition with some minor traces of use and age on the plasti...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Sofas
MaterialsFabric, Fiberglass, Foam
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.
5 Reasons to Collect Art
From discovering new mediums to supporting rising talents, there are many good motives for building a collection of meaningful works. Learn the hows and whys of art collecting with our guide.