Mario Bellini “Lira & Liuto” Chairs for Cassina, Bordeaux Leather, 1989, Set of 6
Description
Mario Bellini “Lira & Liuto” chairs for Cassina, bordeaux leather, Italy, 1989, set of six
The "Lira e Liuto" was designed by Mario Bellini for Cassina in 1989, extending the formal logic of his landmark CAB chair — itself a milestone in Italian postwar furniture design — into a more enveloping, organically resolved form. Where the CAB stretched leather panels over a tubular steel skeleton, the Lira wraps the entire chair in a single continuous skin: saddle leather stitched directly over a metal and foam structure, encasing legs, seat, and backrest in one unbroken surface. The result dissolves the boundary between upholstery and frame in a way that only the finest Italian leather craft allows.
The rounded backrest carries a distinctive relief pattern — curved panels divided by topstitched seams — that gives the chair its sculptural quality without relying on ornament. A small arch cut into the lower back lightens the mass and recalls the instrument whose name the chair takes.
Dimensions
Height: 30.71 in (78 cm)
Width: 20.87 in (53 cm)
Depth: 20.87 in (53 cm)
Seat Height: 17.33 in (44 cm)
Design
1989
Manufacture
1980-1989
Material
Metal, Leather
Location
Lonigo, IT
Condition
Our atelier carefully restored the item, with attention to structural integrity, materials, and finish. The process was guided by deep respect for its authenticity, balancing technical intervention and historical sensitivity.