Vintage Furniture – Real or Fake? Eames Lounge Chair & Ottoman

In this installment of “Real or Fake?” we’ll discuss the ever-popular and often imitated Eames Lounge Chair and ottoman, officially known as the Eames Lounge (670) and Ottoman (671). Designed by the remarkable and prolific husband and wife team of modernist architects and designers, Charles and Ray Eames in 1956, this chair was introduced to the public on NBC’s morning show, the Arlene Francis Home Show (which later became The Today Show) and was an instant hit. (Don’t miss the extraordinary 2-part video here.) It’s been in constant production ever since by U.S. licensee Herman Miller of Zeeland Michigan and European licensee Vitra.

It’s also one of the most popularly copied pieces and I defy anyone to find a furniture store anywhere in the world that doesn’t sell a version of this chair. Some copies even have their own fans – an unlicensed knockoff from Plycraft by George Mulhauser is considered by many to be superior in both quality and comfort to the real thing and can be had at substantial savings. It’s said to be more ergonomic for today’s larger American frames.

So if you’re in the market for an Eames Lounge Chair and Ottoman, how do you know if you’re getting the real thing? If you’re buying new, it’s easy. Buy from a Herman Miller dealer or look for the Herman Miller label on the underside of the chair shell. Prices start at about $3,500 for the cherry or walnut versions. A 50th anniversary chair in santos palisander rosewood starts at about $4,500. Authentic vintage chairs get that much or more, and an earlier limited edition model in rosewood has been known to fetch as much as $7,000 at auction. (UPDATE: A vintage rosewood chair and ottoman just got $3,120 at the October 7, 2008 Modern Design auction at Wright Auctions of Chicago. Pre-auction estimates put it at $3,000 to $4,000 – obviously a sign of the times given the world economic crisis. Read about it here.)

But if you’re buying vintage, first look for the label on the underside which looks like this:

If there’s no visible label, how do you know you’re getting the real thing? Here’s some other visual cues to look for:

• Shell of cherry, walnut, santos palisander or rosewood. Any others are likely fakes.
• Look for six-inch thick urethane foam cushions with soft leather upholstery.
• The chair will have a five-legged base (“five-star”) and the ottoman four. Legs rise at a slight angle – they are not flat nor do they rise too steeply creating a “cone” effect.
• Look for die-cast aluminum back braces – not square tubular aluminum.
• The bases are also die-cast and painted black with polished aluminum trim.
• Some copies have a loose cap over the base to hide rough welds or bolts where the legs meet the post.
• Natural rubber shock mounts and adjustable stainless steel glides.
• Armrests are curved, not flat.
• Look at the leather upholstery on the armrest. Fakes often have a single piece of leather wrapped around the edge. Authentic models have a separate piece of leather welting wrapped around the edge.
• The ottoman is the exact same size as the seat of the chair. In fact, the cushions are interchangeable.
• Most copies recline, an authentic chair does not.
• There should be absolutely no visible screws or bolts. None.

This fake has a five-legged ottoman and the legs of both chair and ottoman rise at too steep an angle. Otherwise it’s pretty darn close.

This copy has a four-legged chair, flat legs, flat armrests and a smaller ottoman.

Visible screws are an instant dead give-away. This one is a cheap copy.

Flat arms with a single piece of leather wrapped around the edges instead of a second piece of welting is a no-no.

If you’ve got Taittinger taste on a Schlitz budget, look for a knock-off from Plycraft. They generally start at around $1,200 and with a steady demand for them, they’ll hold their value almost as well as the authentic Herman Miller version. You might even find it to be more comfortable. (But don’t tell anyone I said that!)

Read about the latest auction results for a vintage Eames Lounge Chair 670 and Ottoman 671 here.

Don’t miss my postings on how to tell a real from a fake Le Corbusier LC series chair, aMies van der Rohe Barcelona chair and aNoguchi coffee table. See recent auction results and trends on vintage furniture from Eames and other designers here.  You can also learn the smart way to buy quality furniture whether you’re staging a house for sale or collecting for your own home here.

Refer: https://jetsetrnv8r.wordpress.com/2008/09/14/vintage-furniture-–-real-or-fake-eames-lounge-chair-ottoman/