Set of Four Thonet Dining Chairs, Czechoslovakia, 1950s
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.89 in (81 cm)Width: 17.72 in (45 cm)Depth: 17.33 in (44 cm)Seat Height: 18.51 in (47 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 4
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Prague 8, CZ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU3318319780952
Thonet
For more than 180 years, Thonet — or Gebrüder Thonet — has produced elegant and durable tables and cabinets as well as chairs, stools and other seating that wholly blur the lines between art and design. Widely known as a trailblazer in the use of bentwood in furniture, the European manufacturer has reimagined the places in which we gather.
Noted for his skill in parquetry, German-Austrian company founder Michael Thonet received an invitation from Austrian Chancellor Prince Metternich to contribute Neo-Rococo interiors to the Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna. The Boppard-born Thonet had honed his carpentry skills in his father’s workshop, where he carried out experiments with plywood and modified the Biedermeier chairs that populated the studio.
Thonet’s work for the chancellor raised his profile, and the cabinetmaker gained international recognition, including at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851, which featured works created by members of the Arts and Crafts movement as well as industrial products of the day. Thonet showed a range of furniture at the fair and won the bronze medal for his bentwood chairs. He incorporated his family’s company, the Thonet Brothers, with his sons in 1853.
Bentwood furniture dates as far back as the Middle Ages, but it is the 19th-century cabinetmaker Thonet who is most often associated with this now-classic technique. Thonet in 1856 patented a method for bending solid wood through the use of steam, and from there, the bentwood look skyrocketed to furniture fame. The works of renowned mid-century modern designers such as Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, and Charles and Ray Eames that put this technological advancement to use would not be as extensive or celebrated were it not for the efforts of the pioneering Thonet.
Considered the world’s oldest mass-produced chair, Michael Thonet’s ubiquitous Chair No. 14 demonstrated that his patented bentwood technology made it possible to efficiently produce furniture on an industrial scale. Now known as the 214, it won the German Sustainability Award Design for 2021, a recognition of the company’s commitment to environmentally responsible production.
Often called the Coffee House chair — the company’s first substantial order was for a Viennese coffeehouse — the No. 14 remains an icon. Thonet originally designed the chair in 1859, and it is considered the starting point for modern furniture.
The bentwood process opened doors — there were investments in machinery and new industrial processes, and the business began mass-producing furniture. By the end of the 1850s, there were additional Thonet workshops in Eastern Europe and hundreds of employees. Michael Thonet’s reputation attracted the attention of notable architects including Otto Wagner, Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
The No. 14 was followed by the No. 18, or the Bistro chair, in 1867, and the 209, or the Architect’s chair, of which Le Corbusier was a fan. (The influential Swiss-French architect and designer used Thonet furniture in his Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouveau at the 1925 International Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris.)
Thonet’s chair designs also appeared in artwork by Toulouse-Lautrec, John Sloan and Henri Matisse in his Interior with a Violin Case. The noteworthy Thonet rocking chair remains a marvel of construction — in the middle of the 19th century, Michael produced a series of rockers in which the different curved parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Thanks to Thonet, the humble rocker acquired something unexpected: style. It was captured in the paintings of Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and James Tissot.
Thonet is currently split into global divisions. Thonet Industries U.S.A. was acquired in 1987 by Shelby Williams and joined the CF Group in 1999, while the Thonet brand in Germany is owned by Thonet GmbH.
Find a collection of antique Thonet furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Prague 8, Czech Republic
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Set of Four Ton Dining Chairs, Czechoslovakia, 1960sLocated in Prague 8, CZLovely dining chairs Ton, made in Czechoslovakia, 1960s. Beechwood, green fabric. In very good Vintage condition, without any damage. Price is for the set of four.Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Set of Four Mid Century Dining Chairs, Czechoslovakia, 1960'sLocated in Prague 8, CZMid century upholstered dining chairs, made in Czechoslovakia in the 1960´s. Beech wood, fabric. In good Vintage condition,...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Fabric, Wood
- Set of Four Vintage Dining Chairs, TON, 1960s, CzechoslovakiaLocated in Prague 8, CZSet of four lovely dining chairs, 1960s, Czechoslovakia. Marked TON. Beech construction. In very good condition. Upholstery partially damaged. See photo. Price is for the set. ...Category
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Beech
- Pair of Midcentury Dining Chairs TON, 1960s, CzechoslovakiaBy ThonetLocated in Prague 8, CZPair of patinated dining chairs from the 1960s. It was made in the former Czechoslovakia. It´s made of beechwood and plywood and has a lacquered seats and backrests. The chairs ar...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Scandinavian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWood, Beech, Plywood
- Art Deco Dining Chairs, 1930´S, Czechoslovakia, Set of 3Located in Prague 8, CZART DECO chairs, made in the 1930s in the former Czechoslovakia. Made of walnut wood, veneered. The veneer is in excellent condition. The seats are slightly raised due to age, but th...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Dining Chairs by Josef Pehr, Czechoslovakia, 1940s, Set of 4Located in Prague 8, CZSet of four dining chairs designed by Czechoslovak architect Josef Pehr. Made to order for functionalist villa in Prague in the 1940s. Beech wood, fabric. The chairs were obviously...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Beech
- 1950s Set of Four Dining Chairs, CzechoslovakiaLocated in Praha, CZ- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered - Made of Beech woodCategory
Vintage 1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWood, Beech
- 1950s Set of Four Restored Dining Chairs, CzechoslovakiaLocated in Praha, CZ- newly upholstered - carefully refurbished - stained beech wood frameCategory
Vintage 1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWood, Beech
- 1950s Set of Four Restored Dining Chairs in Walnut, CzechoslovakiaLocated in Praha, CZ- newly upholstered - carefully refurbished - beech skelet with walnut veneerCategory
Vintage 1950s Czech Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Beech, Walnut
- Set of Four Dining Chairs or Thonet, 1960sBy ThonetLocated in Praha, CZ- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of beechwood - Presented on the exhibition Expo 58 in Brussel - Good, original condition.Category
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Set of Four Dining Chairs/ Thon 'Thonet', 1970sBy ThonetLocated in Praha, CZ- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of wood, fabric - New upholstery - Solid - Wooden parts has some signs use - Good, original condition.Category
Vintage 1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- Set of Four Bentwood Dining Chairs Attributed to ThonetBy ThonetLocated in Vienna, ATBentwood chairs as Thonet No 20. New canning on all chairs. Four pieces available Delivery time 3-4 weeks.Category
Antique Early 1900s Czech Vienna Secession Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood, Cane