Hi Andrew,

Thank you for contacting Mearto with your appraisal inquiry.

The Eva chair by Bruno Mathsson is noteworthy because it is one of the earliest and most influential ergonomic chairs of Scandinavian modern design. Designed around 1934, it helped establish Sweden’s reputation for furniture that combines modernist aesthetics with human-centered comfort.

Midcentury modern furniture blogs note that Mathsson approached chair design scientifically. He studied how the human body actually sits and shaped the chair to support the natural curve of the spine. The Eva chair’s seat and back follow a gentle S-curve, allowing comfortable sitting without heavy upholstery. He is even remembered for studying impressions made by his body in the snow to understand a natural sitting posture.

The Eva chair introduced a distinctive combination of bent laminated birch or beech frames, woven hemp, linen, or leather webbing for the seat and back and an open, lightweight structure. This construction allowed flexibility, ventilation, and comfort while keeping the form visually light.

These chairs are not considered rare and there have been dozens of examples - in both pairs and singles - that have sold at auction for prices ranging in value from $500-1,200, condition and provenance being an important element of the value. Given the crack in the arm of this chair, I would expect it to sell for between $500 and $700 at auction.

Based on the photos and information provided, and subject to examination, this is:

A vintage Bruno Matthson Eva lounge armchair
circa 1960s
marked to the frame
(DIMENSIONS)
CONDITION: wear and some discoloration to the webbing and small separation to laminates where the proper right arm joins the stile
PROVENANCE: Acquired in an online auction
$500-700*
*represents a fair-market value for auction purposes; retail or asking price may vary.

Please let us know if you have additional items to appraise, or questions/concerns, and thank you again for using Mearto.
~ Delia