Classic Thonet Bentwood Coat Tree Rack
View Similar Items
Classic Thonet Bentwood Coat Tree Rack
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 79 in (200.66 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 28 in (71.12 cm)
- Style:Vienna Secession (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1880-1920
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Original, clean, ready to use.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU978730367112
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.
- Bentwood Billiard Stool Attributed to ThonetBy ThonetLocated in New York, NYHard to find form, early bentwood billiard stool attributed to Thonet. Some minor wear, normal and consistent with age. Stylish early modern design fro...Category
20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Stools
- Vintage Brass Coat Tree Rack Having Eight Hooks at the TopLocated in New York, NYStylish freestanding brass coat rack, having four hooks at the top each with an upper peg for coats, and a lower one for scarves, sweaters etc . The stand is in very good, original...Category
Mid-20th Century American Hollywood Regency Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Bentwood Rocking Chair Att. to ThonetBy ThonetLocated in New York, NYUnusual bentwood and cane rocking chair, in the Vienna Secessionist style, probably mid 20th C vintage, Thonet - made in USA, unsigned. The chair is slightly smaller in scale, a vari...Category
Mid-20th Century American Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Set of 2 Bentwood Cafe Chairs Attributed to ThonetBy ThonetLocated in New York, NYNice set of 2 dining, or cafe, chairs in bentwood and upholstery, attributed to Thonet. Clean ready to use condition, seats in later vinyl upholstery. No breaks or structural damage,...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Bentwood
- Lot of 21 Thonet TON Model 30 Bentwood Arm Chairs From Adelphi Hotel SaratogaBy Thonet, TON a.s.Located in New York, NYIconic Vienna Secessionist design bentwood arm chair(s)made by TON. The chairs feature bentwood beech frames in bleached finish, with dark blue naugahyde seats and backs, the backs ...Category
Late 20th Century Czech Vienna Secession Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsNaugahyde, Beech
- Child’s Thonet Rocking ChairBy ThonetLocated in New York, NYStylish child’s bentwood rocking chair attached to Thonet. This example is in very good original condition showing only light wear normal and consistent with age. Measures: Total H ...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Wall coat rack no.905 by ThonetBy ThonetLocated in Banská Štiavnica, SKWall coat rack no.905 by Thonet in original vintage condition.Category
Vintage 1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Thonet Bentwood Hall Coat RackLocated in New York, NYThe Thonet bentwood hall coat rack is approximately 80 inches in height, 29 inches in width, and 18 inches in depth.Category
Antique 19th Century Austrian Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsWood
- Thonet Bentwood Hall Coat RackLocated in New York, NYThonet bentwood hall coat rack, with finial top, four double hooks for coats, and three bentwood scrolls at base anchoring an umbrella and cane rack. Dealer: S138XXCategory
20th Century Unknown Other Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBentwood
- Antique Original Late Victorian circa 1880 Thonet Bentwood Coat Rack StandBy ThonetLocated in GBWe are delighted to offer for sale this Antique original, circa 1880, extra large, Thonet Bentwood solid Beech wood eight prong coat stand / rack. This is in my opinion the finest hat, coat and...Category
Antique 1880s European Late Victorian Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
$3,823 Sale Price20% Off - Original circa 1900s Thonet Bentwood Coat Rack Exquisite Craftsmanship Must SeeBy ThonetLocated in GBWe are is delighted to offer for sale this stunning antique circa 1900’s Thonet Bentwood wall mounted coat rack A truly stunning piece, if you have ever seen this type of coat rack in the form of a wall mounted rack...Category
Antique Early 1900s European Edwardian Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBentwood
$892 Sale Price20% Off - Thonet Hall Coat StandBy ThonetLocated in Banská Štiavnica, SKLarge Thonet hall coat stand with umbrella holder. Very good original condition.Category
Vintage 1910s Slovak Vienna Secession Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBentwood
$1,096