Mario Bellini 412 "CAB" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1978, Set of 12
About the Item
- Creator:Mario Bellini (Designer),Cassina (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.88 in (80.98 cm)Width: 18.11 in (46 cm)Depth: 16.73 in (42.5 cm)Seat Height: 17.71 in (44.99 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 12
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970s
- Condition:Refinished. The quality of the objects is guaranteed by the accurate check of our expert craftsmen and artisans. The single item is subject to a careful revision process to guarantee excellence. Our atelier can provide customization and special restoration.
- Seller Location:Lonigo, IT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3756328486002
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Lonigo, Italy
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 10 days of delivery.
- 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 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 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
- Mario Bellini 412 "CAB" Dining Chairs for Cassina, 1978, Set of 10By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Lonigo, VenetoMario Bellini 412 "CAB" dining chairs for Cassina, hazelnut leather, Italy, 1978, set of ten. High-quality chairs consist of handstitched natural leather upholstery wrapped over an ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mario Bellini "Cab-412" Set of 6 Black Leather Chairs for Cassina, 1970By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in The Hague, NLSet of 6 dining room chairs designed by Mario Bellini and manufactured by high quality design furniture maker- Cassina in 1970s period, Italy. Model- Cab 412. All chairs are marked ...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mario Bellini for Cassina Cab Dining Chair Mod.412, Italy, 1978By Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Naples, ITThis iconic design by Mario Bellini for Cassina, circa 1970s, features the original caramel-colored leather. The bottom of the chairs bears the inscription - Cassina.Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsLeather
- Set of Six Mario Bellini Cab Armchairs for CassinaBy Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe iconic chairs designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina c.1970s, Italy, feature the original camel saddle leather which is wrapped atop the steel frames. This set of six armchairs ar...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Set of Cab 412 Chairs by Mario Bellini for Cassina, 1977By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Budapest, HUCreated in 1977, the golden age of Italian design, the Cab 412 chairs became the very first independent chairs to be completely enveloped in leather. Mario Bellini, the creator, refe...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Set of four Cassina Cab Chairs Designed by Mario Bellini 1978 in Natural LeatherBy Mario Bellini, CassinaLocated in Offenburg, Baden WurthembergBeautiful set of four Cab Chairs in natural leather hide designed by Mario Bellini in 1976 Manufactured by Cassina in circa 1990. This set consists of two cab412 dining chairs an...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Post-Modern Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Cassina Cab 412 China Red Leather Dining Chair Set of 4By Cassina, Mario BelliniLocated in Munich, BavariaThis Cab 412 dining chair was designed by Mario Bellini for Italian manufacturer Cassina. It's the Dining chair version. The classic Italian masterpiece in dining rooms. It is uph...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room 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.