Armchair Thonet Nr.28, circa 1920
View Similar Items
Armchair Thonet Nr.28, circa 1920
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Width: 19.3 in (49 cm)Depth: 20.87 in (53 cm)Seat Height: 18.51 in (47 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1920
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Praha, CZ
- Reference Number:Seller: Thonetky1stDibs: LU2456319621452
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.
- Armchair Thonet Nr.23By ThonetLocated in Praha, CZOriginal state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack finish.Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Thonet Armchair Nr.8, circa 1870By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZVery old armchair from the beginnings of the production of bentwood furniture. These were always very subtle and simple. The bayonet fastening of the armrests to the backrest also in...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Office Chair Thonet Nr.253, circa 1915By Thonet, Jacob & Josef KohnLocated in Praha, CZIn beautiful original condition, perfectly cleaned and polished with shellac. The chair has an interesting finish - imitation oak wood (which was created by drilling artificial pores...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Armchair Thonet Nr.12, circa 1870By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZManufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. Newly restored, new backrest string, new shellack polish.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
$1,858 Sale Price30% Off - Viennese Armchair Gebrüder Thonet Nr. 4, circa 1870By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in Praha, CZManufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet Company. Newly restored. Measures: Seat height 48 cm. Bends beechwood.Category
Antique 1860s Austrian Armchairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Rare Armchair Thonet Nr. 22, circa 1887-1910By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in Praha, CZA very rare model, produced only in limited quantities. Collector's piece. Manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet Company. In the production program was included, circa 1873....Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
$2,821 Sale Price25% Off
- 1920's Dining Chair model B 28 by ThonetBy ThonetLocated in Brno, CZThese dining chair were originally designed by the Thonet company in 1904, as model No. 28. This particular model is believed to be made by Thonet in one of their factories in former...Category
Vintage 1920s Czech Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBeech
- Rare Salon Armchairs Nr. 14 by Thonet, Set of TwoBy ThonetLocated in Vienna, ATBeech bentwood frame with upholstered sear and backrest. Made by Thonet Austria, circa 1900. Restored, suitable bench in other listing available.Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Restored Black ArtDeco Beech Armchair, Thonet Company, Austria, 1920sBy ThonetLocated in Horomerice, CZRestored ArtDeco Beech Armchair made by influential Austrian furniture manufacturer Thonet. Maker: Thonet Source: Austria Period: 1920-1929 Material: Beech This item features cl...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Beech, Lacquer
- Armchair N ° 7601B, Edition Thonet circa 1880By ThonetLocated in Saint-Ouen, FRArmchair n ° 7601B, Edition Thonet circa 1880 Patina and fabric to redo.Category
Antique 1880s Austrian Art Nouveau Armchairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Set of 8 Thonet Armchairs Model Nr. 15, Black Wood and Cane, 1900sBy ThonetLocated in Brussels, BESet of 8 Thonet armchairs Model Nr. 15, Black Wood and Cane, 1900s.Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Armchairs
MaterialsCane, Wood
- Thonet ArmchairBy ThonetLocated in Los Angeles, CAThonet ArmchairCategory
Antique 19th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsWalnut
$1,440 Sale Price70% Off