How to identify an authentic Artek chair: look at the whole construction

Turn a pre-owned Artek chair over carefully. The bend of the L-leg and the underside of the seat often reveal the most useful clues. A stamp, a screw or a particular number of veneers can add to the picture, but none settles authenticity on its own. At Pino, we look at how the construction, proportions, materials and signs of use fit together.

Start with the bend of the L-leg

Alvar Aalto's L-leg begins as a piece of solid birch. Parallel slots are sawn into the end of the leg, extending across the area to be bent. Thin birch veneers dipped in glue are inserted into the slots, and the wood is then bent to the required angle. The veneers help the wood bend and reinforce the structure. The leg is not assembled from separate long laminations, and slots for veneers are not cut into an already bent leg afterwards.

Look closely at the bend. Does the leg's wood continue from the straight section into the curve, and can you see the veneers where the slots were cut? Look at the shape of the curve, the grain and the way the leg meets the seat. Construction is a useful point of comparison, but one close-up cannot tell the full history of a chair and its parts.

The number of veneers is not a date stamp. We have seen, for example, stools from the 1930s with seven veneers and stools from the 1940s with only three. The number varies in table legs too. Do not date an Artek piece by its veneer count alone.

Examine the underside of the seat

Under the seat, you can see how the legs are attached and how the seat is put together. Check the condition of the seat, how its edge meets the central section, and whether there are signs of repairs, refitting or replacement parts. Seat cores, surfaces and upholstery vary between versions. No single surface should be expected on every authentic chair.

Screws are one clue among many. Slotted screws may suggest an older chair, but screws can be replaced during maintenance. No single screw type, number or arrangement is a reliable rule for every production period. If a listing does not show the underside, ask for a full view and a close-up of one leg attachment.

Chair 65 or 66? The backrest helps identify the model

Chairs 65 and 66 can look similar at a glance: both have a round seat, L-legs and a curved birch plywood backrest. The clearest difference is the backrest height. Chair 65 has a low back that allows it to slide well under a table. Chair 66 has a noticeably taller, handle-like backrest.

Both 65 and 66 are adult chairs. In current product specifications, Chair 65 is approximately 68 cm high and Chair 66 approximately 80 cm high, while both have a seat height of 45.5 cm. Older examples may have a lower seat, as dimensions have changed over the years.

Chair 65's low back does not make it a children's chair. The separate Children's Chair N65 is smaller and has a seat height of about 37.5 cm. If you are looking for an adult chair, check the stated seat height or ask the seller to measure from the floor to the top of the seat. A photo alone can be misleading. Backrest and seat height help identify the model, but neither proves authenticity.

Explore Pino's Alvar Aalto collection to compare the proportions of different pieces.

Stamps, labels and patina add context

A missing stamp or label does not mean a chair is inauthentic. Not every old chair has a stamp, and a paper label can come off after decades of use. An old stamp can help date an individual chair when its type is known, but it should still be read alongside the construction, materials and provenance.

Look at the surface too. Does wear appear naturally where hands, feet and daily use would leave marks? Have the lacquer, wood and underside aged in a way that makes sense together? Patina can reveal use and possible changes, but cannot prove age or authenticity by itself.

The war leg: a response to shortages

The L-leg is not the only historical leg construction in Aalto furniture. Wartime shortages affected furniture production. The so-called war leg uses a finger joint: the wooden parts of the leg meet in interlocking, finger-like ends. This construction needed less glue than the usual bent L-leg. It shows how production adapted to scarce materials. Finger-jointed war legs appeared in other Aalto furniture as well, including stools and tables, not only one chair model.

The war leg is a fascinating trace of its time, but an old appearance or a joint at the seat edge does not prove that the photographed leg is of this type. To confirm it, you need a close-up of the finger joint in the leg itself. Even then, the leg alone cannot establish the production year of the whole chair: older furniture may have been repaired and parts replaced.

The sandwich seat: layered construction and upholstery

Another interesting construction in early Aalto chairs is the so-called sandwich seat. It has two stacked layers, visible as a narrow gap at the edge. One way to upholster it was to draw fabric over the upper seat layer and turn its edge into the gap. The lower wooden layer concealed the fastening, leaving a neat upholstery edge and visible wood along the side. This was not necessarily the only way to upholster the seat.

The seats in Pino's photos currently have wooden surfaces, but there are staple marks on their undersides. These clearly show that upholstery was once fastened beneath these seats and covered the entire seat, including the lower layer. The marks cannot tell us whether that upholstery was original or when it was removed. Nor do they mean that every sandwich seat was always upholstered with the fabric edge tucked between the layers: some seats may have been upholstered all the way around, concealing the lower wooden layer. The construction helps identify how a seat was made, but does not by itself establish its original surface or production year. Early Chair 69 examples with sandwich seats are also known with their original upholstery.

Before you buy: put the clues together

Ask for photos of the entire chair, the L-leg bend, the seat underside and any markings. Compare the model's measurements and ask whether parts have been replaced or the chair restored. If a construction detail remains unclear, request a closer photo or examine the chair in person. A single unusual detail may come from a repair; several conflicting details deserve a closer look.

Authenticity is assessed from the construction as a whole. Identifying the model, estimating the production period, assessing condition and spotting replaced parts are different questions. One screw, stamp or veneer cannot answer all of them.

Ask us about your Aalto furniture

Do you have a chair, stool, table or another piece designed by Alvar Aalto that you would like to know more about? Send us a message or give us a call. You can ask about the model, condition or identification even if you have not decided what to do with it. No question is too small.

If your piece is looking for a new home, tell us about it. We are interested in stools, tables and other Aalto furniture as well as chairs. A few photos and any measurements you have are helpful, but you can get in touch without them. We can look at the piece together and see whether Pino could be its next stop. We want the furniture that passes through our hands to find homes where it will be used and appreciated.

You can also explore Pino's Alvar Aalto collection and see the kinds of pieces we love.