1 of 20 Postmodern Memphis Era Thonet Vienna Stackable Signed Dining Chairs, 90s
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.11 in (79 cm)Width: 19.69 in (50 cm)Depth: 20.48 in (52 cm)Seat Height: 18.12 in (46 cm)
- Style:Post-Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:1990-1999
- Date of Manufacture:1996
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Quality made and in very good vintage condition with expected signs of age and use, as highlighted in the photos.
- Seller Location:Zagreb, HR
- Reference Number:
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: Zagreb, Croatia
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- 1 of 20 Postmodern Memphis Era Thonet Vienna Stackable Signed Dining Chairs, 90sBy ThonetLocated in Zagreb, HRExceptionally rare and collectible, postmodern Memphis design original Thonet dining chairs. Sculptural and geometrically shaped. Sold per piece. Twenty pieces available. Produced...Category
1990s Austrian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Set of 4 Postmodern Memphis Era Thonet Vienna Stackable Dining Chairs, 90sBy ThonetLocated in Zagreb, HRSet of four exceptionally rare and collectible, postmodern Memphis design original Thonet dining chairs. Sculptural and geometrically shaped. Produced by Thonet Vienna in 1996. Qual...Category
1990s Austrian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair of Postmodern 'Thesis' Visitor Dining Chairs by Wiesner Hager, 90s AustriaBy Wiesner-HagerLocated in Zagreb, HRMemphis style postmodernist dining or visitor armchairs produced by the popular Austrian furniture company Wiesner Hager, during the 1990s. A quality and sturdy production. New strip...Category
1990s Austrian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- 1 of 3 Postmodern 'Miss Global' Chairs, Philippe Starck for Kartell, 90s ItalyBy Kartell, Philippe StarckLocated in Zagreb, HRBeautiful vintage postmodern chairs, model 'Miss Globe', designed by Philippe Starck and produced by Kartell during the early 1990s. Good vintage condition with some smaller and exp...Category
1990s Italian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- Thonet Postmodern Sculptural Wooden Chair, 1990s AustriaBy ThonetLocated in Zagreb, HRAn original Thonet Vienna sculptural postmodern wooden dining chair. Produced in 1996. High production quality. Reminiscent of the designs of Afra and Tobia Scarpa for B&B Italia in ...Category
1990s Austrian Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsWood, Beech
- Space Age Futuristic Octagonal Stackable Dining Chairs by Fröscher Sitform, 90sBy Fröscher SitformLocated in Zagreb, HRSet of unique space age or atomic age dining chairs or visitor chairs in blue and green produced by Fröscher Sitform, 1990s Germany. Octagonal futuris...Category
1990s German Space Age Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMetal
- 90s Postmodern Constantin Boym Architect & Designer Designed Arbat Dining ChairsBy Constantin BoymLocated in St. Louis, MOSet of eight Arbat cubist arm dining chairs designed by architect Constantin Boym for Brickell. The chairs bold lines are inspired by Russian Constructivist architecture. Refinished ...Category
1990s American Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsMaple
- Postmodern 1980s Flex 2000 Stacking Chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet, Solid BlackBy Thonet, Gerd LangeLocated in Basel, BSExcellent set of 6 Flex 2000 Stacking Chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet, with Solid Black wooden frames and black seats. No longer produced, Rare items. VERY hard to find in solid black. Very Chic! Designed by Gerd Lange in 1983, manufactured in Western-Germany. The legs are made of solid ashwood, stained black. The seat and back consists of original black PVC material. Incredible space savers-- stackable! Dimensions 18.3ʺW × 16ʺD × 31.1ʺH International Shipping details...Category
Vintage 1980s German Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Birch
- Set of Five Chairs by Thonet, ViennaBy ThonetLocated in Wolfurt, ATThis set of five Thonet chairs. The chairs was made by Thonet in 1984 of dark lacquered wood and grey seat and back with silver upholstery nails. A new cover is necessary, otherwise ...Category
Vintage 1980s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood, Leather
- August Thonet Chairs, Set of 6, Czech Republic, 50s Signed ThonetBy ThonetLocated in Mombuey, Zamorathis description has been automatically translated and may not be completely accurate. H77 x W37 x D44 They are in very good condition, very solid.Category
Early 20th Century Czech Other Chairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Dining Chair/Thonet, 1880sBy ThonetLocated in Praha, CZ- Made in Wien - Made of bentwood, beechwood - Restored - Labeled - Good condition.Category
Antique 1880s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsBentwood, Beech
- Set of 6 Memphis style postmodern powder-coated iron dining chairs, USA 1980sLocated in Hastings, GBA set of 6 Memphis style postmodern dining chairs, USA 1980s. Heavy powder-coated iron or steel, with original abstract upholstery. There's a little age-related wear to the fabric, b...Category
Vintage 1980s Post-Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsIron