Rare Thonet Nr. 1 Writing Desk Chair
View Similar Items
Rare Thonet Nr. 1 Writing Desk Chair
About the Item
- Creator:Michael Thonet (Designer),Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 82 in (208.28 cm)Width: 64 in (162.56 cm)Depth: 53 in (134.62 cm)Seat Height: 48 in (121.92 cm)
- Style:Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1900-1909
- Date of Manufacture:1904
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Expertly restored by a professional studio with long history of preserving rare and unique pieces.
- Seller Location:PRAHA 5, CZ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU7114230296302
Michael Thonet
The development of bentwood for use in furniture is one of history’s most significant innovations in design. A range of renowned mid-century modern designers such as Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, and Charles and Ray Eames drew heavily on this technological advancement, and the success of their enduring works owes to the efforts of pioneering German-Austrian industrialist and designer Michael Thonet — founder of Thonet and widely considered the father of bentwood furniture.
Bentwood furniture dates as far back as the Middle Ages, but it is the 19th-century cabinetmaker and master of parquetry Michael 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. He experimented with bending birch rods into rounded shapes — forming delicately seductive, curving Art Nouveau creations that were a daring departure from the heavy, hand-carved designs attributed to his contemporaries.
The Boppard-born Thonet 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. He received an invitation from Austrian Chancellor Prince Metternich to contribute Neo-Rococo interiors to the Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna. From there, 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. 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 — or Gebrüder Thonet — with his sons in 1853.
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.
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. Composed of just six parts, the chair, with its simple, lightweight design, belies its durability. 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.)
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.
Thonet’s patented bentwood technology also yielded an improvement to rocking chairs for his company — 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. And bentwood furniture was embraced by a series of design greats — the innovation can be found in the seating that Josef Hoffman designed for Thonet, in the elegant Superleggera chair created by Gio Ponti and Alvar Aalto’s expressive Paimio armchair.
The No. 14 chair earned a gold medal at the 1867 Paris World’s Fair and reportedly sold 50 million copies prior to World War I. Today it’s a staple furnishing in countless movies, television shows, restaurants, bars and homes.
On 1stDibs, find an array of antique Michael Thonet seating, tables and more.
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
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 antique Gebrüder Thonet furniture on 1stDibs.
- Rare Thonet Nr. 21 plant stand by Josef HoffmannBy Josef Hoffmann, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in PRAHA 5, CZRare modernist flower / plant stand designed by famous Viennese architect Josef Hoffmann. Manufactured by Thonet. Featured in 1906 catalogue. White lacquered bent beech. In very good...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Pedestals
MaterialsBeech
- Pair of Rare Thonet A 562 Chairs by Otto PrutscherBy Otto Prutscher, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in PRAHA 5, CZExtremely rare chairs by famous Viennese architect Otto Prutscher. Interestingly designed backrest shape, decorative wooden struts at the bottom under the seat in all corners. Chairs...Category
Vintage 1910s Austrian Art Nouveau Side Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Rare Thonet B 313 Stool by Josef FrankBy Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Josef FrankLocated in PRAHA 5, CZDesigned for Haus & Garten, Vienna, c. 1928, manufactured by Thonet-Mundus AG. Dimensions: height 39 cm, 45 x 42 cm. Very good original condition, firm and stable. Some former woodwo...Category
Vintage 1930s Austrian Jugendstil Stools
MaterialsBeech
$1,310 Sale Price20% Off - Pair of Rare Adolf Loos Thonet B 952 F ArmchairsBy Thonet, Adolf LoosLocated in PRAHA 5, CZExtremely rare beech wood Windsor-style chairs by Loos Adolf (1870–1933), manufactured by Gebrüder Thonet. Stamped by company trade mark. The authorshi...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Bauhaus Armchairs
MaterialsBeech
$5,387 / set - Rare Thonet A 403/F Armchair by Josef FrankBy Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Gustav Adolf SchneckLocated in PRAHA 5, CZ"Fireplace chair" designed by Josef Frank c. 1928, for Gebrüder Thonet. Mahagony stained bent beech and beech plywood. Professionaly restored. With Thonet brand embossed and Thonet p...Category
Vintage 1930s Austrian Bauhaus Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Vintage bentwood armchair Thonet B 47By Thonet-MundusLocated in PRAHA 5, CZManufactured by Thonet in 1930s under catalogue number 1626/1. Labeled with manufacturers trade mark. Made of beech wood and plywood. In good original condition with some traces of w...Category
Vintage 1930s Austrian Bauhaus Armchairs
MaterialsBeech
$659 Sale Price20% Off
- Rare Thonet Armchair Desk ChairBy Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in Vienna, ATBeech bentwood dark brown stained with an upholstered seat from the late 1930s.Category
Vintage 1930s Austrian Vienna Secession Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- 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
$2,803 Sale Price25% Off - Very rare Thonet easy chair nr.6331By Michael Thonet, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in Banská Štiavnica, SKVery rare Thonet easy chair nr.6331 in very good oirignal condition with signs of use.Category
Antique 1890s Vienna Secession Chaise Longues
MaterialsRattan, Beech, Bentwood
- Rare Rocking Chair Thonet Nr.1By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZVery rare model, the first rocking chair, which was by Michael Thonet invented. Depending on the form and used stamp, this is a very rare archaic model. The armchair was made for uph...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
$1,583 Sale Price20% Off - Armchair Fischel Nr.44 - THONETBy Michael Thonet, D. G. FischellLocated in Praha, CZOriginal state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack finish. Newer string of the seat and backrest.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsCane, Beech, 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