Art Deco Reclining Chair Made in 1930s Germany by Thonet, Restored Matte Finish
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 34.26 in (87 cm)Width: 25.6 in (65 cm)Depth: 36.23 in (92 cm)Seat Height: 15.75 in (40 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1930-1939
- Condition:Refinished. Reupholstered.
- Seller Location:Horomerice, CZ
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU2641326473702
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: Brandýs nad Labem, Czech Republic
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 2 days of delivery.
- Restored Bauhaus Armchair, Marcel Breuer, Thonet, Beech, Chrome, Germany, 1930sBy Marcel Breuer, ThonetLocated in Horomerice, CZRestored brown Bauhaus armchair. Period: 1930-1939 Designer: Marcel Breuer Maker: Thonet Source: Germany Material: Beech, chrome-plated steel, Rattan strings.Category
Early 20th Century German Bauhaus Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- French Art Deco Armchairs Made in the 1930s, RestoredLocated in Horomerice, CZMade in France in the 1930s-Restored to high gloss by our team.Category
Vintage 1930s French Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsWood
- Small Art Deco Table, Made by Thonet, Walnut, Czechia, 1930s, Fully RestoredBy ThonetLocated in Horomerice, CZSmall Art Deco table, Made by Thonet. Fully restored. Revived original varnish. Period: 1930-1939 Source: Czechia Material: Walnut.Category
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood, Walnut, Lacquer
- Restored Art Deco Serving Trolley Made in the 1930s by Thonet, Walnut and SteelBy ThonetLocated in Horomerice, CZArt Deco serving trolley by Thonet Completely restored. Surface was made by piano lacquers to the high gloss. Walnut veneer.Category
Vintage 1930s Art Deco Serving Tables
MaterialsChrome
- Three Restored Art Deco Armchairs, Made in 1930s Czechia, Adjustable, RosewoodLocated in Horomerice, CZCompletely restored, surface made by piano lacquers to the high gloss. New upholstery and fabric.Category
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Walnut, Lacquer
- Pair of Restored Tubular Thonet Armchairs by Anton Lorenz, New Upholstery, 1930sBy ThonetLocated in Horomerice, CZBauhaus Art Deco armchairs Completely restored, New upholstery Material: Chrome Source: Germany, Thonet Period: 1930-1939.Category
Early 20th Century German Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- Breuer for Thonet German Art Deco Lacquered Arm ChairBy Thonet, Marcel BreuerLocated in New York, NYGerman Art Deco black enameled wood arm chair with chrome trim having a shaped wood back and cane seat (attributed to MARCEL BREUER; manufactured by THONET) (Related item: 061133)Category
20th Century German Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- Set of 4 Blue Cantilever Chairs B43 by Mart Stam for Thonet, Germany, 1930sBy Mart Stam, ThonetLocated in Berlin, DESet of four blue cantilever chairs, two with armrests and two without. Model B43, designed in 1930s by Mart Stam and manufactured by Thonet in G...Category
Mid-20th Century German Bauhaus Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- 1930s Restored Art Deco Armchair in Solid Walnut, CzechoslovakiaLocated in Praha, CZ- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered - rare model - high of seat 43 cmCategory
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- 1930s Restored Art Deco Adjustable Armchair by Fischel, CzechoslovakiaBy FischelLocated in Praha, CZ- Carefully restored and finished by shellac - Newly upholstered (not original pillows ) - Beech wood skeletCategory
Vintage 1930s Czech Art Deco Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood, Beech
- Early B35 Chair by Marcel Breuer for Thonet, 1930sBy Marcel Breuer, ThonetLocated in Uppsala, SEVery early example from the 1930s of the classical B35 model designed by Marcel Breuer for Thonet in the very last years of the 1920s. The leather has great patina and is definitely ...Category
Vintage 1930s German Bauhaus Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel
- Fully Restored Thonet Office Chair, 1930s, CzechoslovakiaBy ThonetLocated in Prague 8, CZThis chair was made by Thonet in the former Czechoslovakia in the 1930´s. THONET brand embossed on the underside of the seat. The chair was renovated and is in excellent condition. ...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Office Chairs and Desk Chairs
MaterialsWood