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.
Changes in the organizational structure of Thonet since its inception in 1853 included a merger with Mundus, a Viennese company that Rudolf Weill & Co.'s Leopold Pilzer founded in 1907. Mundus was a joint stock firm that comprised a range of small bentwood furniture makers. The Thonet and Mundus merger took place in the early 20th century, which followed Mundus’s becoming a majority stakeholder in J. & J. Kohn. The merger yielded the formation of Thonet-Mundus in 1922.
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 antique Thonet-Mundus furniture on 1stDibs.
$2,980 / item
Rare Armchair by Josef Hoffmann
By Josef Hoffmann, Thonet-Mundus
Located in Vienna, AT
Rare beech bentwood frame, leather upholstery. Designed circa 1900-1910 by Josef Hoffmann for Cabaret Fledermaus in Vienna. Made by Thonet. Delivery time about 4-6 weeks. Price per c...
Beech, Bentwood
$3,062 / set
Pair of Thonet Mundus Armchairs
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Pair of Thonet Mundus armchairs professionally stained and repolished with new terracotta fabric.
Fabric, Beech
$1,130Sale Price|56% Off
Thonet Armchair Catalog Number 1798
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Vienna, AT
Thonet Armchair Catalog Number 1798 The surface is already walnut stained and shellack polished. The cover will be made on customer request and is already in price included. More...
Beech, Bentwood
Wooden Armchair Mundus Vienna Style Thonet, 1920's
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Praha, CZ
- made in Austria - made of wood - good, original condition.
Wood
Secession office chair by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession office chair by Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
$800Sale Price / set|20% Off
Thonet Mundes chairs Vienna Austria 1925
By David Fisher, Thonet-Mundus
Located in Den Haag, NL
Thonet Mundes dining chairs Beech wood. Wicker seat. Design David Fischer for the Gebr Thonet Vienna Austria 1880.
Wicker
Original of Time Otto Wagner Armchair 1901 Jugendstil, Secession Style, 1901
By Thonet-Mundus, Otto Wagner, Woka Lamps
Located in Vienna, AT
As pioneer and master of the Modern, Otto Wagner seized the then rather new technique of bending Wood for his furniture designs. The design of this armchair dated back in 1901. This ...
Beech, Bentwood
Black Dining Armchairs designed by Josef Hoffmann for Mundus, Yugoslavia 1960s
By Josef Hoffmann, Thonet-Mundus
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find rare vintage dining chairs designed by Josef Hoffmann for Mundus - Model Prague. Chairs are done in black painted beech bentwood with cane seats and bac...
Cane, Beech
Thonet n°9 Le Corbusier armchair
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Grenoble, FR
Very beautiful bentwood armchair from the beginning of the century model no. 9. This armchair was used on multiple occasions by Le Corbusier who was particularly fond of it. He said ...
Beech, Plywood
$706Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage bentwood armchair Thonet B 47
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in PRAHA 5, CZ
Manufactured by Thonet in 1930s under catalogue number 1626/1. Labeled with manufacturers trade mark. Made of beech wood and plywood. In good original condition with some traces of w...
Beech
3 Original circa 1920 Mundus Vienna Austria Bentwood High Back Kitchen Chairs
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this suite of three original fully stamped Mundus Vienna Austria, bentwood high back chairs. A very good looki...
Bentwood
$2,002 / set
Set of 6 dining chairs by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Set of 6 dining chairs by Thonet Mundus in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
Secession bentwood bench by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession bentwood bench by Thonet Mundus with brass leg endings.. Professionally stained and repolished.
Brass
$600 / item
Two Thonet Chairs
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Vienna, AT
Pair of Thonet chairs still unrestored Beech, bentwood new caned seat, the wood can be stained and polished on any color you request.
Beech, Cane
Bauhaus Chair Thonet A283 by Gustav Adolf Schneck in 1928
By Gustav Adolf Schneck, Thonet-Mundus
Located in Praha, CZ
Manufactured in Czechoslovakia by the Thonet-Mundus. Designed in year 1928 by prof. Gustav Adolf Schneck. Bent beechwood. New shellac finish.
Bentwood
Bauhaus art deco amrchairs by Lajos Kozma for Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus, Lajos Kozma
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bauhaus art deco amrchairs by Lajos Kozma for Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished with new fabric.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Bentwood Early 1900s Rocking Chair Produced by Mundus, Budapest
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Varese, Lombardia
Bentwood and straw rocking chair produced by Mondus in the early 20th century. The armchair is complete and features its original maker label: "Mundus Budapest". The chair is compl...
Straw, Bentwood
Functionalist bentwood lounge chair no.668 Thonet Debrecen
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Functionalist bentwood lounge chair by no.668 Thonet Debrecen in very good original condition.
Rattan, Bentwood
Mid-century stool attributed to Josef Hoffman Thonet Mundus Borlova
By Josef Hoffmann, Thonet-Mundus
Located in Piacenza, Italy
Mid-century wooden stool with leather seat attributed to Josef Hoffmann Thonet Mundus Borlova. A refined early-20th-century wooden stool produced by Thonet–Mundus Borlova, showcasi...
Wood
Josef Frank, rare stool model B313, Thonet, 1928
By Josef Frank, Thonet-Mundus
Located in Uppsala, SE
Bentwood stool, model B 313, designed by Josef Frank for Thonet-Mundus in 1928. This example have an (for this model) unusual rattan seat. Possibly a later addition since the holes o...
Rattan, Birch
Original Otto Wagner Armchair 1901 Jugendstil, Secession Style, 1901
By Otto Wagner, Woka Lamps, Thonet-Mundus
Located in Vienna, AT
As pioneer and master of the Modern, Otto Wagner seized the then rather new technique of bending Wood for his furniture designs. The design of this armchair dated back in 1901. This ...
Beech, Bentwood
$1,884
Thonet Dining Chair No.4
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Thonet dining chair no.4 professionally stained and repolished.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Two Armchairs Mirjana Maracic, Mundus, Florijan Bobic Furniture Factory, Vara
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Boven Leeuwen, NL
Two rare mid-century design armchairs made of bentwood beech wood and webbing seat and back. The manufacturer dates from the end of the 19th century, was initially called Mundus (...
Rush, Bentwood
Bauhaus Armchair Pair in Bentwood, Model A 60F by Thonet-Mundus, Austria, 1929
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist armchairs pair in Bauhaus style. The large lacquered bentwood armchair appeared in the Thonet-Mundus catalog from 1929 along with a rocking chair, a stool and a table. The ...
Fabric, Upholstery, Beech, Bentwood
Bauhaus art deco amrchairs by Lajos Kozma for Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus, Lajos Kozma
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bauhaus art deco amrchairs by Lajos Kozma for Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished with new fabric.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Antique Bentwood Piano Stool upholstered in kilim fabric, Austria 1910s
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an Antique Art Nouveau adjustable piano stool. It is done in typical Mundus manner - beech bentwood, with the round seat, which in this case was upholst...
Fabric, Bentwood
Set of 4 chairs model A821 by Adolf Gustav Schneck for Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus, Gustav Adolf Schneck
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Set of 4 chairs model A821 by Adolf Gustav Schneck for Thonet Mundus. Absolutely original condition, combination of natural rattan weave on the ba...
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Art deco armchairs no.A 64F by Adolf Gustav Schneck for Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus, Gustav Adolf Schneck
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Art deco bentwood armchairs no.A64F by Adolf Gustav Schneck for Thonet Mundus.
Beech, Bentwood
Vintage Bentwood Desk Chair, 1930s-1950s, Mundus, Austria
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Hannover, DE
Bentwood vintage chair by Autrian manufacturer Mundus, competitor from Thonet. Production period: approx. 1930s-1950s. Ideally as desk or dining chair. Only 1 available. Sturdy b...
Teak
Bount Office Chair
Located in Paris, FR
Office chair Bount with solid wood structure upholstered and covered with camel leather. Swivel desk chair with blackened iron base. Also available wi...
Iron
Thonet Austrian Curved Wood Armrests Chair, 1920s
By Thonet
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Thonet Austrian arm chair, c. 1900/1920, In curved beech wood, the upholstery has been redone in ivory velvet and the wooden parts have been polished wi...
Velvet, Beech
Secession armchairs no.6093 by Otto Wagner for Thonet
By Thonet, Otto Wagner
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession bentwood armchairs no.6093 by Otto Wagner for Thonet. Armchairs were restored in the past, needs to be need firming up, they are a bit...
Beech, Bentwood
$1,079Sale Price / item|20% Off
H 33.4 in W 18.8 in D 21.2 in
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH Post Mundus Chair in Beech
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Adolf Loos
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Five pieces of bent wood make up the unique profile of Post Mundus, the chair designed by Martino Gamper that plays on the iconic lines of the historic Aus...
Wood
$2,618 / item
H 33.47 in W 26.38 in D 25.2 in
Office Chair, International Style Wooden Adjustable Office Chair
By kontra
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Darwin added wheels to the office chair in 19th century. In the 1970s ergonomics was added to design criteria. Today, it is the key element for whom spends long hours in the office. ...
Leather
$2,950
H 37.41 in W 35.44 in D 33.08 in
Josef Hoffmann "Haus Koller" Armchair for Wittmann – Viennese Secession Elegance
By Wittmann, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Dronten, NL
A stunning Haus Koller Armchair designed by Josef Hoffmann and produced by the esteemed Austrian manufacturer Wittmann. Originally conceived in 1911 for the Koller House in Oberwalte...
Velvet, Beech
$3,021 / set
H 35.04 in W 17.33 in D 19.3 in
Italian beech and Vienna straw Thonet N.18 chairs, Thonet for Herbatschek, 1960s
By Michael Thonet
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian beech and Vienna straw Thonet No.18 chairs, Thonet for Herbatschek, 1960s. Set of six chairs known as model N.18, with a bent beech structure with black varnish and handmade ...
Straw, Beech
Office Chair, International Style Wooden Office Chair
By kontra
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Darwin added wheels to the office chair in 19th century. In the 1970s ergonomics was added to design criteria. Today, it is the key element for whom sp...
Leather, Oak, Walnut
Office Chair, International Style Leather Office Chair
By kontra
Located in İstanbul, İstanbul
Darwin added wheels to the office chair in 19th century. In the 1970s ergonomics was added to design criteria. Today, it is the key element for whom spends long hours in the office...
Leather
$3,769 / set
H 29.93 in W 21.66 in D 21.66 in
Thonet Club Chairs No.6517 by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet
By Marcel Kammerer
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Thonet club chairs no.6517 by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet Austria 1905 in original condition with signs of usage.
Fabric, Bentwood
Purkersdorf armchairs By Josef Hoffmann - not signed
By Josef Hoffmann
Located in Paddington, NSW
Totally restored with the original patina. Not signed. Josef Hoffmann (1870–1956) was an influential Austrian architect and designer, known for his pivotal role in the development o...
Fabric, Lacquer
Secession Armchair by Josef Hoffmann
By Jacob & Josef Kohn, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession armchair by Josef Hoffmann professionally stained and repolished. Signed J&J Kohn Teschen Austria.
Bentwood
Very rare Thonet B 946 chairs by Josef Frank
By Josef Frank, Thonet-Mundus
Located in PRAHA 5, CZ
Extremely rare set of chairs designed by Josef Frank. This type of chairs was used by Adolf Loos for the kitchen of famous Villa Müller in Prague. Solid ...
Beech
Sold
H 31.1 in Dm 20.91 in
20th Century Art Nouveau Armchair with Vienesse Mesh by Mundus, AT circa 1906
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Outstanding, early 20th century bentwood armchair artfully crafted by the renowed company of Mundus around 1906. A rare, absolute...
Bentwood
Art deco office chair by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Art deco office chair by Thonet Mundus in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
Otto Wagner Bentwood Armchair, Model No. 721
By Thonet-Mundus, Otto Wagner
Located in Toronto, CA
Rare Mahogany Bentwood Armchair, "Model No. 721" By Austrian designer Otto Wagner, originally designed for the Telegraph Office "Die Zeit" in Vienna, c. 1902. Otto Wagner (1841-191...
Beech
Set of 4 dining chairs by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Set of 4 dining chairs by Thonet Mundus in nice original condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
Desk chair by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Desk chair by Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
Sold
H 30.32 in W 21.66 in D 17.33 in
Kabaret Fledermaus chairs no.729 by Josef Hoffmann for Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Kabaret Fledermaus chairs no.729 by Josef Hoffmann for Thonet Mundus in very nice original condition.
Leather, Beech, Bentwood
Two Thonet Mundus A 60 F armchairs - Austria, 1929
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in London, GB
With their Bauhaus form this pair of ‘A 60 F’ armchairs by Thonet Mundus epitomise avant-garde design. Their arms and legs connect to form a soft rectangular form, giving the chair a...
Bentwood
Sold
H 33.47 in W 17.72 in D 20.08 in
Set of 8 Vintage Thonet Bentwood Prague Chairs by Josef Hoffman, 1970s, Restored
By Thonet-Mundus, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Zagreb, HR
Vintage Prague dining chairs designed by Joseph Hoffman for Thonet. A 1970s production by Thonet Mundus in Yugoslavia. Bentwood beech and wicker cane. Fully restored in natural wood...
Cane, Bentwood
Sold
H 32.68 in W 18.12 in D 21.66 in
Pair of Vintage Cesca Mid Century Italian Cantilever Chairs, Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Zagreb, HR
A pair of beautiful vintage Marcel Breuer design B32 cantilever chairs. Completely original parts, and in original vintage condition. Old cane replaced with new handmade Roddeka can...
Chrome
Set of 4 dining room chairs by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Set of 4 dining room chairs by Thonet Mundus in original vintage condition.
Beech, Bentwood
Vintage Thonet Bentwood No. 18 Style Bistro Chair, 1950s
By Thonet-Mundus
Located in Zagreb, HR
A beautiful, wooden Thonet bentwood chair, in style of the popular model no. 18. Based on the dimensions, materials, weight and type of screw, it is most certainly an original Thone...
Cane, Wood