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Michael Thonet Chaise Longues

Austrian, German, 1796-1871

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.

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Creator: Michael Thonet
Very rare Thonet easy chair nr.6331
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Michael Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Very rare Thonet easy chair nr.6331 in very good oirignal condition with signs of use.
Category

1890s Vienna Secession Antique Michael Thonet Chaise Longues

Materials

Rattan, Beech, Bentwood

Very rare folding easy chair no.1 by Thonet
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Very rare folding easy chair no.1 by Thonet professionally stained and repolished with new handmade rattan seat.
Category

1890s Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Michael Thonet Chaise Longues

Materials

Rattan, Beech, Bentwood

Michaël Thonet Gebrüder Thonet Austria Bentwood Sofa
By Michael Thonet
Located in Grenoble, FR
Michael Thonet, Austrian bentwood chaise is composed of beech with an adjustable back with two arms, a scrolling base, and cane paneled seat. New cane and perfect condition.
Category

Late 19th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Antique Michael Thonet Chaise Longues

Materials

Cane, Bentwood

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Previously Available Items
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Michael Thonet chaise longues for sale on 1stDibs.

Michael Thonet chaise longues are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Michael Thonet chaise longues, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Prices for Michael Thonet chaise longues can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $3,274 and can go as high as $3,841, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $3,558.

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