Thonet Chair 404 in Black Wood and Leather
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.11 in (79 cm)Width: 24.02 in (61 cm)Depth: 20.87 in (53 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:20th Century
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Brussels , BE
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU6055227463722
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: Brussels , Belgium
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- 8 Scandinavian Cow Horn Chairs in Light Oak and Black Leather, MidcenturyLocated in Brussels , BEsuperb suite of eight Scandinavian cow horn chairs in light oak and black leather attributed to HP Hansen. These seats, Denmark late 1970s, are in remarkable original condition.Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Mid Century Modern Lounge Chair by Water & MorettiBy Walter & MorettiLocated in Brussels , BEMid-Century Modern lounge chair by walter & Moretti.Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Gregg Fleishman Prototype European Cutout Plywood "Lumbarest" or Puzzle ChairBy Gregg FleishmanLocated in Brussels , BEGregg Fleishman Prototype European cutout plywood "Lumbarest" or Puzzle chair, from the 1970's.Category
Vintage 1970s European Modern Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Vintage Set of 7 folding chair in metal and wood - 1960sLocated in Brussels , BEPerfect for an industrial aesthetic.Category
Vintage 1960s European Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Groovy Armchairs, Pierre Paulin, ArtifortBy Pierre PaulinLocated in Brussels , BEGroovy armchairs, Pierre Paulin, Artifort.Category
Mid-20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of "Livourne - Série 800 Luxe " Armchairs by Jules WabbesBy Jules WabbesLocated in Brussels , BEPair of "Livourne - série 800 luxe " Armchairs by Jules Wabbes.Category
20th Century Belgian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Thonet Cane and Black Ebonized Bentwood Chair After Thonet 209By ThonetLocated in Mombuey, ZamoraThe chair after Thonet is from the years between 1950s This is Le Corbusier's favourite chair and one of the favourite designs of architects and designers. Unfortunately it has no...Category
Mid-20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Illustrated Thonet ChairBy ThonetLocated in Antwerp, BEThonet armchair with a printed illustration. The seat and backrest are weaved in rattan. The rest of the frame is covered in a print that could have influenced by the great Fornase...Category
Early 20th Century Belgian Art Nouveau Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Chairs Thonet 209, Pair of Cane and Black Bentwood , 1940s or 1950sBy ThonetLocated in Mombuey, ZamoraThe chair after Thonet is from the years between 1950-1960 This is Le Corbusier's favourite chair and one of the favourite designs of architects and designers. Unfortunately it has...Category
Mid-20th Century European Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Pair of Vintage Bentwood Thonet Style Chairs in VioletBy ThonetLocated in Redding, CTPair of vintage bentwood Thonet style chairs in Violet. Price is for 2 chairs. Classic timeless design. This amazing color is very rare. The pair i...Category
Mid-20th Century Romanian Bauhaus Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Bentwood
- Pair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for ThonetBy Stefan Diez, ThonetLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for Thonet. Original labels. Stefan Diez, born in 1971 in Freising (Germany). After taking courses in architecture and training to be a carpent...Category
20th Century German Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Pair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for ThonetBy Thonet, Stefan DiezLocated in Los Angeles, CAPair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for Thonet. Original labels. Stefan Diez, born in 1971 in Freising (Germany). After taking courses in architecture and training to be a carpent...Category
20th Century German Chairs
MaterialsBentwood