Tulip Leather Dining Arm Chair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll

An original and vintage dark blue leather Eero Saarinen tulip dining or armchair for Knoll International, 1969. This is an authentic dining or arm chair from Eero Saarinen for Knoll International. This chair was once used in the city hall wedding room of Eindhoven the Netherlands in 1969. In that room it was one of the chairs the bride and groom used to sit in. The chair is quite rare, because it is the fully upholstered edition. We received the chair from a couple who bought it from the city hall. They were even wed in this chair themselves. We added an original photo from 1969 of how the chairs were used and positioned in the wedding room in Eindhoven. One of the chairs in the photo is the one we have for sale. (Copyright photo Jan van Rooij, Eindhoven in beeld). The tulip chair is an early example of 1969. When we removed the upholstered fibreglass shell, we discovered an original stamp which dates 26 July 1969. The dining chair is in good condition with some traces of use to the white tulip base. It has a small hole under the left armrest (probably from a nervous newlywed ? ). This is not visible when using the chair. Former owners decided to re-upholster the chair in a dark blue (almost black) leather. The leather is in very good condition with some minor traces of use. Chair is authentic and marked at the bottom of the base. The leather has a dark blue color.

Eero Saarinen is one of the most iconic and recognized designers from the mid-century. He was a Finnish-American architect famous for designing the Washington Dulles International Airport and is now considered one of the greatest of American 20th-century architecture. It was around 1938 he met Charles Eames who he became close friends with. Together they designed a collection of moulded plywood chairs for the 1940 Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition, sponsored by the MoMa. Their collection received prizes in many categories. In the same period Saarinen met Florence Knoll. When Knoll was starting his company, it was a obvious choice for Eero Saarinen to join him. It was at Knoll where Saarinen designed many of his most famous and classic design pieces. Items like the “Grasshopper” lounge chair, “Tulip” dining chair and table, the “Tulip” side and coffee table and the “Womb” sofa are well known design classics nowadays.