First Generation Tulip Armchairs, Eero Saarinen for Knoll Associates, circa 1959
View Similar Items
First Generation Tulip Armchairs, Eero Saarinen for Knoll Associates, circa 1959
About the Item
- Creator:Eero Saarinen (Designer),Knoll (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.75 in (80.65 cm)Width: 25.75 in (65.41 cm)Depth: 23.25 in (59.06 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:circa 1959
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Very good vintage condition. Seat cushions in good shape. As expected, signs of use commensurate with its age are evident with some scuffs and scratches to fiberglass and base. We can refinish and reupholster upon request, contact us for details.
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU133029236163
Eero Saarinen
Through his work as an architect and designer, Eero Saarinen was a prime mover in the introduction of modernism into the American mainstream. Particularly affecting were the organic, curvilinear forms seen in Saarinen’s furniture and his best-known structures: the gull-winged TWA Flight Center at John F. Kennedy airport in New York (opened 1962), Dulles International Airport in Virginia (1962) and the Gateway Arch in St. Louis, Missouri (1965).
Saarinen had a peerless modernist pedigree. His father, Eliel Saarinen, was an eminent Finnish architect who in 1932 became the first head of the Cranbrook Academy of Art in suburban Detroit. The school became synonymous with progressive design and decorative arts in the United States, and while studying there the younger Saarinen met and befriended several luminaries of mid-century modernism, among them Harry Bertoia and Charles and Ray Eames.
At Cranbrook, Saarinen also met Florence Schust Knoll, who, as director of her husband Hans Knoll's eponymous furniture company, would put Saarinen’s best designs into production. These include the Grasshopper chair, designed in 1946 and so named because its angled bentwood frame resembles the insect; the Tulip chair (1957), a flower-shaped fiberglass shell mounted on a cast-aluminum pedestal; and the lushly contoured Womb lounge chair and ottoman (1948). In his furniture as in his architecture, the keynotes of Eero Saarinen’s designs are simplicity, strength and grace.
Find vintage Eero Saarinen tables, chairs and other furniture on 1stDibs.
Knoll
As a company that produced many of the most famous and iconic furniture designs of the 20th century, Knoll was a chief influence in the rise of modern design in the United States. Led by Florence Knoll, the firm would draw stellar talents such as Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and Eero Saarinen into its compass. Their work would help change the face of the American home and office.
The company was formed in 1938 by the German immigrant Hans Knoll. He first worked with his fellow ex-pat, the Danish designer Jens Risom, who created furniture with flowing lines made of wood. While Risom served in World War II, in 1943 Knoll met his future wife, Florence Schust. She had studied and worked with eminent emigré leaders of the Bauhaus, including Mies, Walter Gropius and Marcel Breuer. She won Knoll over with Bauhaus notions of industrial arts, and an aesthetic that featured flat and tubular metal frames and angular forms. When Hans died in a car crash in 1955, Florence Knoll was appointed head of the company. It was as much through her holistic approach to design — a core division of the firm was dedicated to planning office systems — as Knoll's mid-century modern furnishings themselves that she brought about the sleek and efficient transformation of the American workplace.
Today, classic Knoll furnishings remain staples of modern design collections and decor. A history of modern design is written in pieces such as the elegant Barcelona chair — created by Mies and Lilly Reich — Saarinen’s pedestal Tulip chair, Breuer’s tubular steel Wassily lounge chair and the grid-patterned Diamond chair by Harry Bertoia.
As you can see from the collection of these designs and other vintage Knoll dining chairs, sofas and tables on 1stDibs, this manufacturer's offerings have become timeless emblems of the progressive spirit and sleek sophistication of the best of modernism.
- Cowhide Leather Tucroma Armchair by Guido Faleschini for Mariani, NewBy Guido Faleschini, i4 MarianiLocated in Los Angeles, CACurrently, the most coveted dining chairs by interior designers are 'Tucroma' chairs by Guido Faleschini for i4 Mariani, and we have this incredible Tucroma armchair in beautiful (br...Category
2010s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Special Edition 'Tucroma' Armchair by Guido Faleschini for Mariani, Signed, NewBy Guido Faleschini, i4 MarianiLocated in Los Angeles, CACurrently, the most coveted dining chairs by interior designers are 'Tucroma' chairs by Guido Faleschini for i4 Mariani, and we have this incredible special edition Tucroma armchair ...Category
2010s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Mastercraft Brass Dining Armchairs with Grandma Fabric, Set of Four, circa 1970sBy MastercraftLocated in Los Angeles, CAThis super cute set of four (4) dining armchairs by Mastercraft feature a brass base with light patina and a very unique and interesting fabric that features light pink and baby blue...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBrass
$1,440 Sale Price / set20% Off - Black Hair-On-Hide 'Tucroma' Armchair by Guido Faleschini for Mariani, NewBy Guido Faleschini, i4 MarianiLocated in Los Angeles, CACurrently, the most coveted dining chairs by interior designers are 'Tucroma' chairs by Guido Faleschini for i4 Mariani, and we have this incredible Tucroma armchair (brand new) in b...Category
2010s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Pair of Cowhide Leather Tucroma Armchairs by Guido Faleschini for Mariani, NewBy i4 Mariani, Guido FaleschiniLocated in Los Angeles, CACurrently, the most coveted dining chairs by interior designers are 'Tucroma' chairs by Guido Faleschini for i4 Mariani, and we have this incredible pair (2) of Tucroma armchairs in ...Category
2010s Italian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Warren Platner for Knoll Lounge Chair in Knoll Velvet with Bronze FinishBy Warren Platner, KnollLocated in Los Angeles, CAA beautiful Warren Platner for Knoll lounge chair (Model 1715L), upholstered in a gorgeous burgundy (wine) color velvet fabric over a bronze finish frame. The deep burgundy velvet is a luxurious upgrade over the standard knit fabric that is more commonly seen, the fabric is called "Knoll Velvet...Category
2010s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$5,100 Sale Price25% Off
- Eero Saarinen Tulip Armchairs for Knoll, 1960By Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Chicago, ILEarly pair of tulip dining arm chairs by Eero Saarinen for Knoll, circa 1960. Cushions upholstered in Jack Lenor Larsen velvet with new foam.Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Fiberglass
$2,400 / set - Tulip Armchair by Eero Saarinen for KnollBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Brooklyn, NYA classic piece of modern design combining elegance and functionality, the Knoll tulip armchair was designed by Eero Saarinen in 1957. It feature...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Eero Saarinen Tulip Armchair Knoll Studio 1970sBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Stockholm, SETulip armchair by Eero Saarinen for Knoll International. Moulded fibreglass shell and cast aluminium base. Its organic shape remains timeless and elegant. Set of 4 armchairs. ...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Fiberglass
$9,345 / set - Eero Saarinen for Knoll International Tulip ChairsBy Eero Saarinen, KnollLocated in Dronten, NLClassic Tulip dining chairs designed in 1956 by Eero Saarinen for Knoll International. A defining accomplishment of modern design and a timeless addition to your home—a true Classic....Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- Eero Saarinen for Knoll Pair of ‘Conference’ Armchairs of UNESCO ParisBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Waalwijk, NLEero Saarinen for Knoll International, pair of ‘Conference’ armchairs, fabric, chromed metal, France, Paris, designed in 1957 These armchairs were commissioned by the UNESCO Headqua...Category
Vintage 1950s French Scandinavian Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Eero Saarinen for Knoll Set of Twelve ‘Conference’ Armchairs of UNESCO ParisBy Knoll, Eero SaarinenLocated in Waalwijk, NLEero Saarinen for Knoll International, set of twelve ‘Conference’ armchairs, original fabric, chromed metal, France, Paris, designed in 1957 This large set of armchairs were commiss...Category
Vintage 1950s French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome