So finally my house bird has landed.
I have a confession to make. It’s a replica. Giant can of worms alert.
As I designer of course I do not agree with plagiarism, copies, knock offs etc. and I aspire to own only original pieces But [with a capital B]… Charles & Ray Eames [died 1978/88] are not benefitting from me buying a real bird. Are they? A company called Vitra is. And hey $230 or thereabouts for an [admittedly cool] non functioning object in these times is a flight of fancy isn’t it?
And here’s the rub. My husband hates it. He had a nasty incident with a Magpie as a kid and it freaks him out. So its been shelved [to my study] anyway. Kind of glad I saved some $$.
Aint gunna fly.
I found this interesting article + debate over Herman Miller [licensed Eames design suppliers] taking Matt Blatt [local Replica giant] to court last year.
australiandesignreview
So what do you think? Where do you stand on replica vs original? I’m not going to judge…
urban rustic 
ahhhhh, I love the Eames house bird. I’m with you, Sandy…that little sweetie is a tad bit expensive. My husband ended up making us one…hand carved from some wood left over from a renovation project. I love it! But I would also love to have an original. Where did you get this one? It looks exact!
I’m all about having the original when it comes to furniture or accessories. I try to always get the real thing when I can but lets face it… sometimes they mark things up so high that they push the real lovers of this stuff out. They make it impossible, therefore force people to find alternatives. It’s an on-going discussion at our house but we have bought one or two reproductions over the years. Sometimes I feel bad… but I get over it pretty quick! HA HA! Love your bird!
Hey Stacey, I can’t believe Richie made one! How cool/ clever is that? Even more special. Mine is from a company called Matt Blatt which is big over/ down here. Must admit I went to the warehouse to pick it up and drooled over so many replica pieces. [I still can’t afford right now] Ironically and most annoyingly the bird was flawed and I left empty handed [it was quite a trek for me] so I had to wait for another to arrive by post. Quite a saga in the end. I’ve not seen an original but I have to say this one is pretty great for about 1/3 the price. Thanks for commenting. Thought I might have copped an ear bashing [does that sound really Aussie?] actually…
[…] degrees. I’m not trying to be negative [ha] but now I’m turning to black. I blame the bird [the non-Eames House […]
I just got a Vitra bird on eBay at a good price. Otherwise, I wouldn’t have one either. I did a whole series about reproductions and knock-offs and the laws regarding that whole can of worms. I know there are purists who think it’s heresy to buy a reproduction or even a reissue, and naturally I’d prefer to having nothing but the real thing. That said, I just bought five repro Nelson clocks to use as place holders till I can find real ones I can afford. As long as manufacturers aren’t doing anything illegal, I think it’s a choice each collector has to make for himself. I don’t think anyone who loves mid-century style should be prevented from decorating his home in that style because of prohibitive pricing.