Whether you are a mid-century modern connoisseur, or a relative newcomer (check out the mid-century modern furniture guide), it can be difficult to discern an authentic mid-century modern piece from an imitation counterpart, unless you know where to look for the subtlest of clues. Mid-century modern furniture is best exemplified by the quintessential pieces that showcase beautiful lines, such as the Saarinen Tulip chair, the Knoll Barcelona chair, and the Eames lounge chair. Before splurging on any of these purportedly “authentic” mid-century modern furniture chairs, make sure it meets the checklist of authenticity.
Telltale Signs of an Authentic Knoll Barcelona chair
This Knoll-licensed piece of mid-century modern furniture won the Museum of Modern Art Award in 1977. A genuine Knoll piece will display the signature name of “Mies Van Der Rohe” on the chrome frame, usually on the rear leg on the left hand side. It should be noted that Knoll simply owns the manufacturing rights in America, and Barcelona chairs were initially made by other mid-century modern furniture manufacturers; thus, some pieces not bearing the Knoll stamp may still be authentic Barcelona chairs.
Before you buy your Knoll piece, also check that it has an authentic-looking serial number located beneath the fork of the chair. Mid-century modern collectors most often cite Knoll chairs as having the best quality upholstery – potentially well worth the additional investment.
Real vs. Faux: Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman
The Eames Lounge chair was designed and introduced by Ray and Charles Eames around 1956. The Eames mid-century modern furniture embodies luxury, comfort and exquisite elegance in its design. Though the task of distinguishing an Eames Lounge chair from any other chair made of molded plywood might appear to be formidable, there are some definitive clues to aid you in your authenticity quest.
Eames wannabes have screws and bolts visible from the outside; these will not be apparent on a genuine mid-century modern Eames chair. In addition, Eames Lounge chairs have a welt and a separate piece of leather on the armrest, whereas mid-century modern furniture copies are generally upholstered with a single piece of leather wrapped around. Look for the Vitra logo stamped on an authentic Eames lounger, as well as five legs on the chair – most imitators only have four legs, as it is less costly to produce.
Also, the ottoman cushion and the chair cushion should be the identical size – you should be able to swap an authentic Eames lounge chair’s cushion with the ottoman’s pad.
Break out your protractor! Keep in mind that the authentic Eames lounge chair is permanently angled at 15 degrees to provide the most comfort for your body. Unauthorized reproductions or copies are usually not mounted at 15 degrees.
Elements of an Authentic Saarinen Tulip Chair
The Saarinen Tulip chair is thought to be one of the most recognizable pieces of mid-century modern furniture. There are many variations of the Saarinen design available, but few are the real McCoy. Authentic Saarinen Tulip chairs have been made by Knoll since 1957, NOT by Burke as is widely thought.
The easiest way to distinguish a genuine Saarinen from a copy is to look at the base. An original mid-century modern Saarinen Tulip chair has a tulip-shaped pedestal base, which was added to eliminate the need for chair legs. There will also be a Knoll logo on the base. There are no casters on any authentic Saarinen, and the back of the chair should not appear to be “square” like so many imitators.
Whether you are examining a Saarinen, an Eames, or a Knoll piece of mid-century modern furniture, conduct piece-specific research, as well as locate a photograph of the original. You can then compare the supposed “authentic” piece of mid-century modern furniture with the real deal first-hand. Stay tuned for future guides articulating how you can discern the real from the imitation in other mid-century modern pieces. Best of luck my stylish friends!
(Photo credits from the top – Knoll Barcelona chair images from the Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Collection Picture Book; Eames Lounger chair images from Herman Miller and Cool Retro Shack; Saarinen Tulip chair images from the Eero Saarinen Collection Picture Book and a user-submitted photo on Apartment Therapy)
22 responses so far ↓
1 Jon // Aug 19, 2008 at 5:39 pm
Honestly – this post could not have come at a better time. I have been considering a rather large purchase, and was assured by a local vendor that the piece was authentic. After reading your tutorial, I now KNOW for sure that it is indeed a replica. UGH! – Thank you for your insight
2 Amy // Aug 19, 2008 at 7:25 pm
This is such a great overview, Grace…. and very relevant particularly with the enormous number of imitators out there. Understandably, great design will always be imitated but Mies van der Rohe’s quote “God is in the details” will always hold true! Thanks so much for this post, look forward to more!
3 M&Co // Aug 19, 2008 at 10:31 pm
Interesting post Grace, and so important…nothing is worse than splurging on something and then finding out its a fake!
The only thing I don’t like about these mid century modern furnitures, from my perception, is that interiors are a bit inflated with them…
The Barcelona chair is really beautiful, and a favorite of mine
4 Grace // Aug 20, 2008 at 12:10 am
It is really my pleasure to help people avoid being taken advantage of by evil vendors selling their fake mid-century goods. That is pure evil to me!
Amy — You are totally right…good design will always be imitated, but they should not parade as authentic goods. Thank you for sharing the oh-so-true Mies van der Rohe quote!
Monica — Ah, I agree with your assessment with the over-use of some mid-century modern pieces. I love the interiors that mix these pieces in with other genres, creating an eclectic look that both you and I love
5 modern furniture // Sep 6, 2008 at 3:38 am
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6 Esther // Sep 18, 2008 at 5:46 am
Interesting re: Eames chair authenticity traits. This site just saved me from getting too excited about a “deal” I found on a local classified site.
Thanks!
7 JetSetRnv8r // Oct 7, 2008 at 7:24 am
Grace – Great post! And great site. I’ve written similar articles on the Eames chair plus the Corbusier LC series and Noguchi coffee table. You can see these and more about home renovation at http://jetsetrnv8r.wordpress.com. Keep up the good work!
8 Gabe // Oct 28, 2008 at 11:01 pm
I have a Saarinen Designed Tulip Table and six chairs. It is Stamped Burke Inc. 10-80 on the bottom of the chairs. Does anyone know their value
9 Rupert Melsom // Oct 29, 2008 at 12:26 pm
Planning to purchase a real Eero Saarinen oval white marble table in the UK.
Who can tell me which retailers sell the real thing opposed to fakes. Also what tell tale signs to look out for in case of being offered a fake by a retailer.
Thanks.
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13 Gina // Feb 20, 2009 at 10:14 pm
Hi. I just purchased what I thought was an authentic Saarinen for Knoll chair on ebay for a great price, but I’ve been suspicious about the number of legs on it (four) when I’ve only seen this chair with 5 legs. One of the pictures shows a Knoll certificate stamped to the bottom of the chair. Do you have any suggestions about where I can find information about whether this chair is authentic or not? Very much appreciate any help! Here’s a link to the chair if you’re curious:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=330307500734&ssPageName=ADME:B:EOIBSA:US:1123
14 katie // Feb 22, 2009 at 2:24 am
HI – I have a set of burke chairs – and a tulip table. The table is not marked burke, but it has a genuine tulip shaped base (not any legs like burke chairs have) There is no marking on the table base with the exception of “KSD” marked on the underside of the base. Do you have any idea if the Knoll tables are marked in such a way, or what the KSD marking might signify? Thanks, katie
15 Grace // Feb 24, 2009 at 6:17 pm
Hi Katie,
The best way to discern if the tulip table is an authentic Saarinen versus a Burke is by looking at how the base is affixed to the tabletop. The authentic Saarinen bases are seamlessly connected to the tabletop, which creates a smooth line. Burke tables, on the other hand, use four screws to secure the base to the top, and the bottom of the table that connects to the base is more square.
I hope this helps!
16 Sophie // Feb 26, 2009 at 9:54 am
Great article and website!
Does anyone have similar information about Saarinen/Knoll armless executive chair with wooden legs? I would like to be able to recognize originals from reissued chairs… Is there a logo or anything?
Thanks!
Sophie
17 Pat Mac // Mar 21, 2009 at 7:23 pm
I have 2 Eero Saarinen Executive chairs with wooden legs which I am told are original but they do not have the Knoll name affixed to them. Is there some way to tell if they are indeed Saarinen chairs?
18 Nina // Sep 6, 2009 at 1:28 am
I bought a noguchi table by Herman Miller from DWR about 6 yrs ago–it is the authentic repro. I want to sell it and there a million copies out there for 395.00–how can I prove that mine is real???/ Are there any signs to look for? Mine has no markings on it at all. I have noticed that now they are etching the glass — but mine doesn’t have the name in it. Any thoughts….. Nina
19 Design64 // Nov 9, 2009 at 1:29 am
I have a question about two Tugendhat chairs I acquired from a executive office built in 1959 by SOM Skidmore, Owings & Merryll. Do you or any of your colleauges know of a man by the name of Gerry Griffith?
20 Dan Fogelson // Jan 15, 2010 at 5:03 pm
to Gina:
before the 1980’s, office chairs had a four prong base. During the 1980’s the standard was changed to five prong (more stability). I am sitting in a Knoll Saarinen chair from aobut 1981 – four prong base.
21 Modern Love // Jan 15, 2010 at 5:14 pm
Great post, but slight correction. Though the rolling Tulip chair you have pictured is clearly fake, Knoll did in fact offer Saarinen’s Tulip chair with castors. The model number is 150A, they are quite rare. The bases are very sculptural:
Documented in Knoll Furniture, Rouland, pg 64-65:
http://modernlove20.com/images/150REF.jpg
And cataloged in the Knoll Museum:
http://www.knoll.com/museum/prod_museum.jsp?prod_id=432
22 Val // Jan 15, 2010 at 6:39 pm
Thanks for this post, I worked for Knoll awhile back and it was always interesting to hear people’s horror storys when it came to Knoll knock offs, one clarification, Saarinen did have a Tulip Arm Chair that was on casters, much like the Executive Chair.
http://www.knoll.com/designer/designer_detail.jsp?designer_id=90
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