How to recognise a genuine Cassina sofa before you buy
Cassina counterfeits are the most expensive mistake on the secondhand furniture market. Here are the six checks our curation team runs to confirm a sofa is real Cassina production, walked through gently so you can run them yourself.
Cassina is one of the most-searched brand terms on Whoppah and one of the more frequently faked. Our curators have built up a sharp eye for what to look for, and the most useful signals are the boring ones.
Why authentication matters here
Cassina has been producing furniture since 1927, and licensed editions of Le Corbusier and Charlotte Perriand since the 1960s. The company is to Italian Modernism what Knoll is to American mid-century. The official manufacturer of pieces that everyone else has tried to copy.
The numbers tell you why authentication matters. A genuine Cassina Maralunga sofa (Vico Magistretti, 1973) sells used for €2,500 to €5,500 on Whoppah. A high-end Italian copy from a non-licensed factory looks similar from across the room and sells for €600 to €1,200. The same gap exists for the LC2 (Le Corbusier), Mariposa, Erei, Mister and other Cassina pieces. Knowing which one you're looking at matters financially, and the difference isn't always obvious in photos.
I want to take the worry out of this. The six checks below are the ones we run before any Cassina listing goes live on Whoppah, and most of them work from photos and seller messages alone.
1. The Cassina label
Every authentic Cassina piece since 1965 carries a sewn-in label, usually inside the upholstery at one of the corners of a seat cushion. The label reads CASSINA in their proprietary typeface, gives a model name and serial number, and states the country of manufacture (Italy).
The label is the first thing to ask about. Request a photo if the seller hasn't included one. Things to flag:
- Labels with the wrong typeface. Cassina's CASSINA wordmark is a specific sans-serif. Italic or different sans is a fake.
- Labels that say "Made in Cassina" or "Cassina style". Neither is genuine.
- Labels without a serial number on post-2000 production.
- Labels that look photo-printed rather than woven.
2. The serial number
Cassina serial numbers can be cross-referenced against the company's archive. Whoppah's curation team has direct contact with Cassina's heritage department for queries on high-value pieces, and you can do the same as a private buyer. Email Cassina with a serial number and they will confirm authenticity. It's slow, but it's free and it's the most authoritative answer you can get.
If a seller refuses to share the serial number, walk away. There's no innocent reason for that refusal.
3. The frame construction
Cassina frames are built to a specific spec depending on the model. Two examples.
For the Maralunga, which is the most-copied piece, the internal frame is solid beech with steel reinforcement at the hinge points where the headrest folds up. Counterfeits use cheaper softwood and skip the steel reinforcement. The Maralunga's hinge mechanism (the famous "folding cap") is one of the most counterfeited details. Original hinges have specific Cassina-branded screws. Copies use generic Allen-key bolts.
For the LC2 and LC3 (Le Corbusier Petit and Grand Confort), the frame is chromed steel of a specific gauge (25 mm tube, 2 mm wall). Cassina chromes to a depth that gives the steel a slight blue cast in raking light. Cheap copies use thinner tube and a brighter, more silver chrome.
For the Mister, the frame is made of three separate elements that interlock with no visible mechanical fasteners. Visible fasteners mean it isn't a real Mister.
Sit on the piece if you can. Original Cassina seating has a specific firmness coming from the frame's engineered geometry. Copies feel either too soft (cheaper foam without proper internal structure) or too firm (rigid frame without the engineered give of the original).
4. The leather
Cassina sources leather from a small number of specific Italian tanneries, all of which produce hides of a particular weight. The leather feels supple but heavy, has consistent grain (no obvious damage or scarring on the cut hide), and patinates slowly. Cassina has a published leather catalogue. They offer roughly 30 standard finishes, and any custom colour can be ordered with the right reference code.
Counterfeit Cassina sofas often use significantly thinner leather. You can see this at the seam edges. Some use bonded leather, which is a giveaway. Check the back of an unstapled section if you can. Cassina pieces use whole hide on visible faces and a contrasting fabric or thinner leather on the underside. The under-leather should still be branded with the tannery mark.
5. The stitching
Cassina stitching is double-row at all structural seams, with a specific stitch length (about 4 stitches per centimetre). The thread colour is matched precisely to the leather. Counterfeits often show single-row stitching at structural points, variable stitch length, or thread that doesn't match the leather. A 10x loupe will reveal the difference clearly, though you can also see most of this with a phone camera zoomed in.
6. The packaging and documentation
If you're buying from the original owner, ask whether they still have the Cassina warranty card and original packaging. New Cassina pieces ship with a specific document set, including the warranty registration, a care guide, and a fabric or leather swatch. Owners who bought new often keep these in a drawer somewhere.
Their absence isn't disqualifying. Many pieces change hands without paperwork, and that's normal. Their presence is a strong authentication signal.
What if the price feels too low but everything else checks out
This does happen, especially with estate sales or sellers who don't know what they have. A genuine Cassina Maralunga listed at €1,400 from a seller saying "vintage sofa, good condition" is not necessarily a scam. Sometimes it's just a seller who hasn't researched.
That said: too-good prices on big-ticket pieces deserve extra scrutiny. Confirm the serial with Cassina, ask for additional photos, and please don't pay outside Whoppah's escrow even when the deal looks great.
What about Cassina re-issues
Cassina re-issues its own historical designs continually. Current production of the LC2 is itself a Cassina re-issue from 1965 onward. The piece is authentic Cassina regardless of when it was made. The collectible premium of a 1970s LC2 over a 2020s LC2 is roughly 15 to 25%, which is modest. Cassina maintains specs precisely across decades, so the materials and feel are nearly identical.
This is very different from a 1980s knock-off LC2 from a non-licensed Italian factory, which is a fake regardless of age.
Summary
Six checks: label, serial, frame, leather, stitching, paperwork. Three of those (label, serial, leather) you can usually verify from listing photos and the seller's chat replies. The other three you can confirm at delivery within the 48-hour buyer-protection window. If anything checks out wrong, you're protected.
The financial gap between a real Cassina and a convincing copy is too large to leave to chance. Run all six. And if you'd like a second opinion on a specific listing, that's exactly what our chat is for. We'd rather help you walk through it than have you wonder.
