How to Know If Barcelona Chairs are Fakes


Barcelona chairs are known for a lot of things. They are most popular modern furniture designs of the 20th century. They are the offspring of the Bahaus school movement. And of course, Barcelona chairs are quite expensive. Designed in 1929 by the renowned Bahaus architect Ludwig Mies van der Rohe in collaboration with Lilly Reich, the Barcelona Chair was part of Germany’s official entry to the prestigious 1929 Ibero-American Expo in Barcelona, Spain. Upon its display on the exhibition the critics were stunned, not just because of the chairs being beautiful enough to be a “design worthy of kings”, but also because of it’s steep original price tag of $6,281. That price has significantly gone down in the decades, but still authentic Barcelona chair pieces can still fetch to about $2,000. Because of this, the Barcelona chair has become a prime target for forgeries, with fake Barcelona Chairs being sold at the market at a low price but often at the cost of quality.

Due to their high demand and expensive price, the Barcelona chair has become a prime target for forgeries and unauthorized reproductions. Today fake Barcelona chairs can be found and sold anywhere in the world, with manufacturers usually coming from Argentina, Germany, China, and Thailand. These fakes are often a fraction of the cost of a real Barcelona chair, and the reason for these is that the materials used and the fabrication is sourced locally. However, the materials used are often not up to par, and end up being a waste of money rather than a great value.

There are many ways in which Barcelona chairs can be discerned as fake or real. One of the most common methods is by looking at the cushions: original cushions are well-formed and curve accordingly with the frame of the chair, while the fake ones are oversized and stand out awkwardly. Original Barcelona chairs also feature back cushions is perfectly aligned to the frame and secured to the frame through a press stud that is not visible from the back. In addition, a high-quality Barcelona chair is created with the greatest accuracy, a fake one would usually be rough and not perfectly aligned.

In addition, another difference between a fake and a real Barcelona chair is by looking at the gap between the cushions. Fake Barcelona chairs have a considerable gap between the two cushions. The cushions also feature interrupting seams, and are attached to the frame via unwieldy leather belts and buckles.