Michael Thonet No. 14 Bentwood Dining Chairs, Set of 6, Circa 1900
View Similar Items
Michael Thonet No. 14 Bentwood Dining Chairs, Set of 6, Circa 1900
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer),Michael Thonet (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 36.62 in (93 cm)Width: 16.93 in (43 cm)Depth: 20.87 in (53 cm)Seat Height: 18.9 in (48 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 6
- Materials and Techniques:Beech,Caning
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1900s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. The cane seats are in great condition. There is a used patina to the wood.
- Seller Location:London, GB
- Reference Number:Seller: DC000851stDibs: LU4510231396692
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.
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.
- Italian Giancarlo Piretti for Castelli Plia Plastic Dining Chairs, Set of 2By Castelli, Giancarlo PirettiLocated in London, GBOriginally designed by Giancarlo Piretti for Catelli in 1967, the Plia chair was introduced at the Fiera del Mobile in Milan and since then has become ...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Futurist Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$534 Sale Price / set30% Off - Gastone Rinaldi for RIMA Black Leather Sabrina Dining Chairs, 1970s, Set of 4By Gastone Rinaldi, RIMALocated in London, GBRIMA was founded in 1920, specialising in manufacturing metal furniture and Gastone Rinaldi took over the company from his father in 1948 becoming the designer. Many of his designs r...Category
Vintage 1970s Italian Futurist Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel
$1,794 Sale Price / set30% Off - Charles & Ray Eames for Herman Miller Plywood DCW Dining Chairs, 1950s Set of 2By Charles and Ray Eames, Herman MillerLocated in London, GBThe DCW chair was originally released in 1946, with Herman Miller taking over the manufacture of the chairs in 1950. This lasted until 1953 when the chairs were taken out of producti...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Hans Wegner for Fritz Hansen FH4103 Beech & Teak Heart Chairs, Set of 6By Hans J. Wegner, Fritz HansenLocated in London, GBOriginally designed by Hans Wegner in the 1950s, the FH4103 was manufactured by Fritz Hansen and sold in London by Story’s of Kensington. Constructed from beech and teak wood, the...Category
Vintage 1950s Danish Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Teak
- Hans Wegner Midcentury Armchairs for GETAMA, Set of FourBy Hans J. Wegner, GETAMALocated in London, GBDesigned by Hans J. Wegner for GETAMA, this set of four GE 151 armchairs are a Classic example of Mid-Century Modern design. Featuring angular black painted beechwood frames and arms, the newly restored chairs...Category
Vintage 1970s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsFaux Leather, Wood
- Dyrlund Teak & Fabric Dining Chairs, Set of 4By DyrlundLocated in London, GBA fantastic example of midcentury Danish design, this set of chairs was manufactured by Dyrlund. Constructed from teak frames with softly curved armrests and cylindrical legs, the...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsTeak, Fabric
$2,433 / set
- Thonet No. 14 Antique Children's ChairBy Michael Thonet, ThonetLocated in Dronten, NLThonet no. 14 children's chair, in original un-restored condition. Very elegant unique piece! Thonet is a name synonymous with innovative furniture design and craftsmanship. Founded...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Deco Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Bentwood
- Midcentury Set of 5 Thonet High Back Bentwood Dining ChairsBy ThonetLocated in Saarbruecken, DESet of 5 !!!!! Thonet high back bentwood beech chairs. Solid and stabile. Signed. Fabric can be changed easily.Category
Vintage 1980s German Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Set of Four Thonet Bentwood Cafe Dining Chairs RomaniaBy ThonetLocated in Port Jervis, NYSet of 4 very sturdy and tight bentwood sweetheart chairs by Thonet and crafted in Romania. Brown vinyl seat seat covering that can be changed easi...Category
Vintage 1960s Romanian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Naugahyde
- Bentwood Cane Salonfauteuil Easy Chair Thonet No. 1, circa 1890By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, ThonetLocated in Lucenec, SKVery rare antique Thonet easy chair no 1 produced by Gebruder Thonet from the late 19th century in a very good condition with new cane on seat, cane ...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Armchairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
$2,705 Sale Price37% Off - Pair of Thonet Bentwood Cafe Bistro Dining ChairsBy Michael ThonetLocated in Port Jervis, NYOnly 2 available, price is per chair. Bentwood cafe chairs sold in a set of 2. Chairs all match, even in terms of use. They are all very tight and well-constructed, having been made...Category
Vintage 1960s Romanian Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech
- Thonet No 19 Chair 1900sBy ThonetLocated in Čelinac, BAThonet no19 Chair Austria 1900sCategory
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Chairs
MaterialsBentwood