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Eero Saarinen (1910-1961)

Eero Saarinen remains one of the major figures of post-war American design and architecture. Born in Finland, trained at the Cranbrook Academy of Art alongside Charles Eames, Florence Knoll, and Harry Bertoia, he developed at Knoll a furniture language that favours structural continuity and central pedestals over the four traditional legs. This research, which he called "the slum of legs," gave rise to the Tulip table, Tulip chair, and Womb Chair, three pieces that still structure the vintage Knoll market today. The LAPIERRE selection gathers authenticated Knoll Saarinen pieces, with systematic mention of editor, decade, and top material.

Biographical landmarks

Eero Saarinen was born in 1910 in Kirkkonummi, Finland, son of architect Eliel Saarinen, one of the major figures of early 20th-century Finnish architecture. The family emigrated to the United States in 1923, when Eliel received the Cranbrook Academy of Art commission in Michigan. Eero grew up in this environment where the founding figures of post-war American design crossed paths: Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia, Edmund Bacon. This Cranbrook network durably structured his career and that of his contemporaries.

Eero studied sculpture at the Académie Grande Chaumière in Paris in 1929-1930, then architecture at Yale, graduating in 1934. He joined the family agency in Bloomfield Hills, where he worked alongside his own projects. In 1940, he participated in the MoMA Organic Design in Home Furnishings competition with Charles Eames, where they presented moulded plywood research that prefigured Charles and Ray Eames's later pieces for Herman Miller.

The encounter with Florence Knoll (then Florence Schust before her marriage to Hans Knoll) at Cranbrook structured his entry at Knoll. In 1946, he signed the Grasshopper Lounge Chair, his first piece for Knoll. In 1948, on direct commission from Florence Knoll who wanted a chair she could curl up in, he developed the Womb Chair. In 1957, after several years of research to reduce the slum of legs, he delivered the Pedestal collection comprising the Tulip table, Tulip chair, and Tulip stool, all on a central cast aluminium lacquered pedestal.

In architecture, Saarinen founded his own practice in 1950 after his father's death. His major projects include the MIT Chapel (1955), the General Motors Technical Center (1956), the TWA terminal at JFK New York (1962), the Dulles Washington terminal (1962), and the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis (1965, completed after his death). Eero Saarinen died in 1961 of a brain tumour at the age of fifty-one, in full activity.

Signature pieces we source

Tulip round table (1957, Knoll). Calacatta, Empereur Brun, Vert Alpi marble top, white laminate, or wood on a central cast aluminium lacquered pedestal. Diameters 90 cm, 107 cm, 137 cm. The 137 cm in Calacatta marble remains the most sought-after configuration. Dining height 74 cm.

Tulip oval table (1957, Knoll). Oval variant 198 x 121 cm for six-to-eight-person dining rooms. Central piece in complete Saarinen interiors. High quotation in Calacatta or Empereur Brun marble.

Tulip chair (1957, Knoll). Chair complementary to the Tulip table, central lacquered aluminium pedestal and upholstered shell. Available in several Knoll fabrics depending on period. Often sought in sets of four, six, or eight.

Womb Chair (1948, Knoll). Cocoon armchair with moulded fibreglass shell, latex foam and Knoll Tonus fabric, on a four-branch chromed steel base. Standard edition and rarer Petit Womb version. Matching ottoman available. Iconic piece commissioned by Florence Knoll.

Womb Ottoman (1948, Knoll). Pouf matching the Womb Chair, identical structure and materials, lower and shorter. Often sought to complete an armchair-ottoman pair.

Tulip stool (1957, Knoll). Bar stool with Tulip pedestal, bar height (76 cm) or counter height (66 cm). Less common than the Tulip chair but consistent with the complete set.

Executive 71 Series (1951, Knoll). Series of upholstered office chairs and armchairs with four-branch aluminium star base. Less iconic but documented in Knoll archives.

Grasshopper Lounge Chair (1946, Knoll). Saarinen's first piece for Knoll, low armchair with bent-wood structure and cushions. A rare collector piece in limited production.

Authentic vs reissue vs homage

The Saarinen market separates three levels. The vintage Knoll piece from 1957-1990, identifiable by original round Knoll Associates or Knoll International label, original cast aluminium lacquered pedestal, real marble. Highest quotation. The recent Knoll reissue, marked by a more modern label, manufactured to the same specifications with finish evolutions. Intermediate quotation but Knoll authenticity preserved. The unauthorised copy, sold online without a Knoll label, with plastic or light-aluminium pedestal, sometimes imitation marble top. This segment represents a significant share of online volume sold under the Tulip name. LAPIERRE never lists copies; every Tulip listed carries its verified Knoll label.

LAPIERRE process for Eero Saarinen pieces

Three stages structure expertise. Verification of the Knoll label (dating by label typology: Knoll Associates 1947-1955, Knoll Associates Inc. 1955-1969, Knoll International 1969-1980, recent Knoll). Physical inspection of the aluminium pedestal and marble (density, natural veining, original polishing). Documentation of cushions and fabrics for the Womb, with mention if reupholstery has occurred. Cross-referencing with Knoll archives when accessible.

Request an Eero Saarinen piece

For a specific search (vintage 137 cm round Tulip in Calacatta, pair of Womb in original red Tonus, set of six Tulip chairs in black fabric), write to us. LAPIERRE activates its Knoll network and partner American, Italian, and French galleries, on a four-to-ten-week horizon depending on rarity.

FAQ

Frequently asked questions

How do you authenticate a vintage Knoll Tulip table?
An authentic Knoll Tulip table carries a round Knoll label glued or riveted under the top, mentioning Knoll Associates, Knoll International, or Knoll depending on the decade. The cast aluminium pedestal must show a thick, homogeneous original white lacquer with no runs. The top, in marble, laminate, or wood depending on version, rests on the base with precise metal centring. 1957-1980 pieces have a round paper label, those from the 1990s onward a more modern adhesive label. LAPIERRE systematically cross-references label, lacquer quality, and centring precision. Copies often present a thinner lacquer and a plastic or lighter-aluminium pedestal.
What is the difference between a vintage Tulip and a recent Knoll reissue?
The Tulip has been edited by Knoll continuously since 1957. 1957-1980 pieces use an original cast aluminium pedestal, sometimes with finish evolutions (pure white lacquer, or cream tones depending on commissions). Recent reissues are manufactured with the same techniques but with more standardised contemporary lacquers. Vintage quotation remains higher than new for pieces with original label and documented patina. Calacatta, Carrara, or Empereur Brun marble tops remain particularly sought after on 1960-1980 examples.
Which Saarinen pieces are most sought after?
Several pieces structure Saarinen quotations. The Tulip table (1957, Knoll) remains the absolute icon, in 90 cm, 107 cm, 137 cm round versions or 198 cm oval. The Tulip chair (1957, Knoll) that completes the table is part of the same conceptual set. The Womb Chair (1948, Knoll) with its matching ottoman, designed for Florence Knoll who wanted a cocoon armchair, reaches high quotations in vintage form with original fabric. The Executive 71 chair (1951, Knoll) is rarer. The Grasshopper Lounge Chair (1946, Knoll), Saarinen's first piece for Knoll, is a collector item.
Why is the Womb Chair so sought after?
The Womb Chair (1948) is documented in the Knoll archives as a direct commission from Florence Knoll to Eero Saarinen. Florence Knoll, then a young designer at Knoll, asked Saarinen for a chair in which she could curl up. Saarinen developed a moulded fibreglass shell, covered in latex foam and Knoll Tonus fabric, on a four-branch chromed steel base. This personal commission that became an iconic piece is one of the founding stories of post-war American design. Vintage pieces in original Tonus are scarce and very sought after.
Is Eero Saarinen the son of Eliel Saarinen?
Yes. Eliel Saarinen (1873-1950), a major Finnish architect, emigrated to the United States in 1923 and founded the Cranbrook Academy of Art in Michigan. Eero, born in Kirkkonummi in 1910, grew up in this exceptional architectural and artistic environment: he met Charles and Ray Eames, Florence Knoll, Harry Bertoia, Edmund Bacon there. This lineage and Cranbrook circle durably structure the post-war American design network. Eero joined the family agency, then founded his own practice in 1950 after his father's death. This dual training, Finnish then American, explains the Nordic ergonomic dimension present in his furniture.
Did Saarinen work as an architect?
Yes, Eero Saarinen was first and foremost an architect and one of the most influential of post-war America. His major projects include the Gateway Arch in Saint Louis (1965, completed after his death), the TWA terminal at JFK in New York (1962), the MIT Chapel in Cambridge (1955), the General Motors Technical Center in Warren (1956), and the Dulles airport terminal in Washington (1962). This architectural practice with its complex structural curves (poured concrete, thin shells, organic forms) directly imbues his furniture language: the Tulip and the Womb apply the same continuity-of-structure research at domestic scale.
What are the variants of the Tulip table?
The Tulip is edited by Knoll in several configurations. Top-side: round 90 cm, 107 cm, 137 cm, and oval 198 x 121 cm for the dining room. Material-side: white Calacatta marble, Empereur Brun marble, Vert Alpi marble, white laminate, more rarely wood. Height-side: dining table (74 cm), occasional table (52 cm), side table (39 cm). The Tulip chair and Tulip stool complete the set. On the vintage market, round 137 cm Calacatta and oval 198 cm configurations are the most sought after, along with rarer Vert Alpi marble examples.