Bruno Mathsson Furniture: Identification Guide

Bruno Mathsson (1907–1988) developed some of Sweden’s most distinctive modern chairs through bent laminated wood, woven supports and close study of the seated body. His designs were produced over long periods and often copied, so model, maker and production date must be assessed separately.

Documented designs

Nationalmuseum records Mathsson’s Reclining Chair No. 36 as designed in 1936 and manufactured in 1939 by Firma Karl Mathsson. It uses bent laminated birch, plywood and plaited webbing. The museum explains that Mathsson explored the “mechanics of sitting” and used glued veneer layers shaped in a press.

MoMA records the Pernilla 1 Easy Chair (T105) as a 1944 design made by Firma Karl Mathsson in Värnamo, using moulded beech plywood and hemp webbing. The Metropolitan Museum records a related Pernilla chair dated 1941, illustrating why model names and catalogue dates must be checked carefully rather than merged.

Identification features

Study:

continuous curves in the laminated frame;
veneer layers visible at edges;
the pattern and attachment of webbing;
joints, screws and load-bearing contact points;
labels, stamps and model numbers;
repairs beneath arm and seat curves;
whether ottoman and chair are a true set.

Birch and beech appear in documented records. Species, finish and model should be identified from construction and records, not appearance alone.

Labels and production history

Firma Karl Mathsson manufactured early documented examples. Later authorised production and variant models can carry different markings and materials. An absent label does not automatically mean a copy, while a loose label can be transferred.

Photograph marks and the entire underside. Compare them with period catalogues and museum examples for the exact model.

Copies and restorations

Mathsson’s ergonomic curves influenced later furniture. Similar bentwood and webbed chairs should not be attributed to him from profile alone. Check rail shape, lamination, dimensions and webbing layout.

Webbing is frequently replaced. A well-executed replacement can make a chair usable but changes originality. Refinished frames, filled lamination cracks and replacement screws should be recorded.

Condition and use

Inspect laminated bends for opening glue lines, cracks and previous injections. Check webbing for brittleness, stretching and failed fastenings. Do not test a questionable chair by sitting heavily in it.

Keep it away from direct heat and strong sunlight. Clean webbing according to its confirmed fibre; treatments suitable for synthetic material may harm hemp, paper or cotton. Structural repairs to laminated wood require controlled clamping and compatible adhesive, best handled by a specialist.

Sources

[Nationalmuseum: Bruno Mathsson Reclining Chair No. 36](https://collection.nationalmuseum.se/en/collection/item/134846/)
[MoMA: Bruno Mathsson Pernilla 1 Easy Chair, 1944](https://www.moma.org/collection/works/1702)
[Metropolitan Museum of Art: Bruno Mathsson Pernilla Easy Chair, 1941](https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/482546)

The differing museum dates reinforce the need to identify the precise model and production history of each chair.

Bruno Mathsson Furniture: Identification and Dating Guide