Eero Saarinen's Tulip Chair: Clearing the "Slum of Legs"
The Tulip chair answers a clearly stated intention. Eero Saarinen said he wanted to rid interiors of what he called the "slum of legs", the tangle of chair and table legs that clutters the lower part of a room. The Pedestal series, of which the Tulip is the best-known piece, grew out of that idea: to set each seat on a single, clean, continuous central support. Designed in the mid-1950s and put into production by Knoll in 1957, it remains one of the most recognisable silhouettes in modern furniture.
An intention before a form
Saarinen was first trying to solve a visual problem. The project, long known internally as the "Pedestal Group", took several years to develop. The aim was to replace the four traditional legs with a single stem that flares towards the floor and seems to continue the seat in one movement. The name "Tulip" came later, to evoke the flower and soften the image of an otherwise very technical object.
The project was also about the coherence of the whole. The Pedestal series includes chairs, stools and tables that share the same central base. Placed together in a room, these pieces clear the floor and give the sense of air and continuity Saarinen was after.
Two materials, not one piece
It is often said that the Tulip is moulded in one piece. It is not. Saarinen reportedly wanted a chair made entirely of fibreglass, in one piece from floor to seat, but at the time the material could not on its own withstand the stresses on the base: the one-piece prototypes broke.
The solution adopted is a sound compromise. The shell, seat and back, is moulded fibreglass. The base is cast aluminium, heavier and stronger, weighted to keep this single support stable. Both parts receive a lacquered finish in the same colour, usually white, which gives the impression of seamless continuity. From a distance, the object looks like a single block; up close, you can see the joint. Without these two materials, the chair could not have been produced.
The seat takes a removable cushion, usually in fabric, set on the shell. On the armchairs, the arms are part of the moulded shell. The cushion provides the comfort, while the rigid shell acts as the structure.
Authenticating an original Tulip
The Tulip is widely copied, often with a base in plastic or light aluminium that sounds hollow and tips. A few concrete clues help distinguish a Knoll piece from an imitation.
The first is the marking. Knoll pieces generally carry a maker's label or marking under the seat or on the base. On older pieces this is often an adhesive or printed label; on recent production, the marking is often engraved or applied under the shell. Its absence does not on its own rule out an old piece, but it should make you cautious.
The second is the weight and sound of the base. An original cast-aluminium base is heavy and stable, and does not vibrate when you sit down. A copy in plastic or thin metal gives itself away at once through its lightness and instability.
The third is the finish of the joint between shell and base, and the quality of the lacquer. On an original piece, the transition is clean and the lacquer thick and even, with no runs. Copies often show approximate joins and lacquer that chips.
Living with a Tulip today
The Tulip fits easily into a contemporary interior, for the very reason it was created: it clears the floor. As a set around a round table, it makes for a very clear dining area. Old lacquer may show fine scratches or slight yellowing of the white, which are signs of age rather than faults. The cushion, often redone over the decades, can be re-covered in a fabric of your choice without harming the value of the piece, provided the shell and base are original.
What we check
When a Tulip comes through our hands, we check the base (cast aluminium rather than plastic, weight, stability) and read any Knoll marking under the seat. We examine the fibreglass shell for cracks and chips, look at the lacquer under raking light and assess the cushion. Our photographs show the joint between shell and base, and the marking.
By
LAPIERRE MARKET
