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.
$750Sale Price / set|50% Off
Pair of Michael Thonet Folding Deck Chairs
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in San Pedro Garza Garcia, Nuevo Leon
This pair is offered in as-is condition and at a significantly reduced price due to their current state. Both chairs require wood restoration, as the front section of the seat frame ...
Cane, Bentwood
Rare Beautiful Thonet High Back Armchair No 6351 , Black, Cane
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Miami, FL
Original cane and black finish, stamped Thonet. Beautiful lines.
Cane, Wood
$1,550 / set
H 40 in W 26 in D 32 in
Pair of Thonet Birch Bentwood and Pale Olive Naugahyde High Back Lounge Chairs
By Thonet
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Pair of Thonet Modular Birch Bentwood Lounge Olive Naugahyde High Back Arm Chairs, C. 1950. Featuring smooth organic steamed bent Birch frameworks, with ergonomic high back and seats...
Wood, Fabric, Naugahyde, Birch, Bentwood
$225Sale Price|40% Off
H 24 in Dm 15 in
Late Victorian bent oak & cane Thonet low piano stool No. 1 featuring elegant, f
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Late Victorian bent oak & cane Thonet low piano stool No. 1 featuring elegant, fluidly splayed legs joined by a circular footrest ring that ensures exceptional structural stability a...
Wicker, Oak
1920 Art Deco Bent Oak & Cane Chair No. 144 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Early Modernist Thonet number 144 side chair features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and an elegant rounded square backrest....
Wicker, Oak
Michael Thonet Sofa Bench NR22
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Chicago, IL
Michael Thonet Sofa Bench Kanapee Sittee NR22 First original form, produced 1889-1890 Cane replaced with mohair Seat Height: 20.5"
Mohair, Beech
$1,785Sale Price / set|40% Off
H 47.75 in W 17.5 in D 19 in
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane High Back Side Chair No. 16 by Thonet, Pair
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian high back Thonet number 16 side chair pair features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and an elegant oval arched back...
Cane, Oak
1960s Italian Bamboo Folding Deck Chairs
Located in Hastings, GB
An exceptional pair of 1960's Italian lounging deck chairs, hand crafted from bamboo with brass plated foot rests and end caps, off white fabric seats. These are beautiful rare survi...
Cotton, Bamboo
$1,470Sale Price|40% Off
H 47 in W 17 in D 19 in
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane High Back Armhair No. 17 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian high back Thonet number 17 armchair features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and an elegant round arched backrest. ...
Oak
Pair Vintage Leather Lounge Chairs by Thonet
By Thonet, Pierre Paulin
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This beautiful pair of chrome base leather lounge chairs by Thonet offer exquisite Mid-Century style suitable for almost any seating situation. Sturdy stretchers and vintage leather ...
Chrome
Michael Thonet Solid Beechwood and Cane no. 210 Armchair
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Thonet
Located in BROOKLYN, NY
Chair nr 210 designed by Gebrüder Thonet in 1900, (as well as nr 209) of renown designer Le Corbusier. This chair is made in Czechoslovakia (pre WW2 factory of Thonet). New cane c...
Wicker, Cane, Bentwood
Thonet Chair No.1
By Michael Thonet, Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Thonet dining chair no.1 in very good original condition.
Bentwood
Model 17 Bentwood High Back Armchair by Michael Thonet
By Michael Thonet
Located in Buffalo, NY
This model 17, bentwood side chair with a cane seat and back was designed by Michael Thonet for his own company in the 1860s. This example was produced in the 1970s and is in a very ...
Cane, Wood
$7,800Sale Price / set|40% Off
H 33 in W 28 in D 30 in
Pair of Streamline Lounge Chairs and Sofa by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Pompano Beach, FL
Pair of streamline lounge chairs and streamline sofa by Thonet in sage cotton velvet and maple stained legs. Dimensions for chairs: 33 H x...
Cotton, Velvet
Super Slick Pair of Thonet Chairs
By Thonet
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Thonet tub chairs in great original condition. We believe they are upholstered in leather, however it's possible the upholstery is actually vi...
Upholstery
$7,750 / set
H 32 in W 24 in D 26.25 in
CraftAssociates Armchairs, Peabody Modern Cane Back Armchairs, Walnut, Caneback
By Lawrence Peabody, Craft Associates
Located in Oak Harbor, OH
CraftAssociates Armchairs, Peabody Modern Cane Back Armchairs, Walnut, Caneback These Lawrence Peabody modern cane back arm chairs for Craft Associates Furniture are expertly handcrafted and upholstered. These Peabody chairs are a licensed reintroduction for Craft Associates. The chairs are shown here in solid walnut and leather, but each is hand built and made to order so wood species and fabric can be customized. Craft Associates has a full fabric program available. Craft Associates Furniture is proud each modern piece is made in the US. They strive to Craft a product that will Stand the test of time. They use the best materials and have the best craftsman and upholstery in the business. We Stand 100% behind our product. Designer: Lawrence Peabody Manufacturer: Craft Associates Furniture Period/Model: Mid-Century Modern Specs: Walnut, cane, leather Dimensions: H 32" (81.28cm) W 24" (60.96cm) D 26.25" (66.68cm) Arm height 22.5" (57.15cm) Seat height 16" (40.64cm) Seat width 21" (53.34cm) Seat depth 20" (50.8cm) "The U.S. would profit by the example of the Danes, whose great work in furniture design is the result of combining proficient craftsmanship, Fine design and technical skill. The Danes do more than sell arts and crafts in their distinguished work, they sell Denmark." - Lawrence Peabody, 1957 History Lawrence “Larry” Peabody (1924-2002) was an architect, interior designer, and furniture designer. As an American born in Haverhill, Massachusetts, his distinctive design were often influenced by his Scandinavian roots. Lawrence studied at the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Copenhagen, Denmark and at the Rhode Island School of Design. His early career with Selig Mfg. Co. was prolific and helped put both himself and Selig on the map for modern furniture. He then started Lawrence Peabody & Associates in 1955, a design firm in Boston which included a vast client list (Sears, Roebuck & Co., Kohler, Regal Rugs, Boyd Lighting, Chapman Lamps, and Richardson Brothers). In 1961, Mr. Peabody won a Citation for Merit for his Peabody Collection for Richardson/ Nemschoff. Winner of the 1962 International A.I.D. design award for his wood frame rattan cradle...
Leather, Walnut
Pair of Michael Wolk Swivel Lounge Chairs
By Michael Wolk
Located in New York, NY
Pair of Michael Wolk "Miami" swivel lounge chairs. The chairs are upholstered in an off-white bouclé fabric with black wooden swivel bases.
Wood, Bouclé
Pair of Thonet Cafe Daum Bentwood Armchairs No. 4
By Michael Thonet, Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Rare pair of Jacob and Josef Kohn for Michael Thonet "Cafe Daum" armchairs no. 4. featuring a black lacquer ebonized finish. Originally designed fo...
Cane, Bentwood, Lacquer