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.
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious 05 in Lacquered Wood an Webbing
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious in Lacquered Wood and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the m...
Steel
Cocktail Chair, Thonet, Vienna, 1950s
By Thonet
Located in Wolfurt, AT
The relatively small cocktail chair covered with a firm vinyl cover, the seams of which are stabilised by a piping strip. The backrest is not only decorated with upholstery nails in the lower arch, but also reinforced. The chairs stand sturdily on light beechwood legs. Original condition. Please note that upholstered chairs from the 1950s like to have a lower seat height of 41 to...
Faux Leather, Wood
1950's Pair of Upholstered Side Chairs, Oswald Haerdtl Model 515
By Thonet
Located in Hook, Hampshire
1950’s pair of upholstered side chairs – Oswald Haerdtl Model 515 1950’s pair of upholstered side chairs – Oswald Haerdtl Model 515. T...
Upholstery
Chair Thonet 811, Josef Hoffmann
By Josef Hoffmann, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Original state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished.
Bentwood
Fischel footstool No.1
By D. G. Fischell, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
original condition as found, cleaned
Beech, Bentwood
1970S Chairs Designed by Gerd Lange Arm Chairs for Thonet, 1970s
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Antwerp, BE
Vintage set of two Desk- Dining Chairs chairs designed by Gerd Lange for Thonet, 1970s. Very rare arm chairs featured in grey plywood and steel rubber armrests height 66 cm. Chairs a...
Metal
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious 01 in Lacquered Wood an Black Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious 01 in Lacquered Wood an Black Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has tak...
Steel
Thonet Set of Four Chairs in Cherry and Brown Red Upholstery
By Thonet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Thonet, set of four lounge chairs, cherry, fabric, Austria, 1950s This set of four chairs has a splendid construction that epitomizes a simplistic, natural and timeless aesthetics. ...
Fabric, Cherry
Thonet Bentwood Magazine Rack, Beechwood, Art Nouveau, c. 1880
By Thonet
Located in Saint-Amans-des-Cots, FR
Bentwood Magazine Rack by Thonet Gebrüder (Vienna), Austria, ca. 1880 — Beechwood. This exceptional 19th-century bentwood magazine rack by Thonet Gebrüder (Vienna), crafted circa 18...
Beech
$3,104
Thonet Chair No.1
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Thonet dining chair no.1 in very good original condition.
Bentwood
$5,373 / item
Very rare art deco armchairs Thonet A 60F
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Very rare Art Deco armchairs Thonet model A 60F, designed around 1929 at the beginning of the Bauhaus era. This model evokes the idea that it was originally designed using bent tubul...
Fabric, Beech, Bentwood
1990s Thonet Bentwood Lounge Chairs in Ebony Wood with Red Fabric
By Thonet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Listed for sale is a single (listing price is for each chair, though four are available) bentwood lounge chair by Thonet. The chairs have ebonized wood frames with red fabric upholst...
Fabric, Wood
Bentwood Armchair by Thonet, Beech and Fabric, 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Brussels, BE
Bentwood armchair by Thonet, Beech and Fabric, 1930s Europe.
Bentwood
Bauhaus Style S3002 Club Tub Armchairs by Christoph Zschoke for Thonet, 2000s
By Thonet
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Stunning and elegant Bauhaus style S3001 club tub armchairs Design by Christoph Zschoke for Thonet. Striking German design from the 2000s. Original plywood and tubular steel frame, r...
Chrome
ST 664 Shell Chairs, Designed by Eddie Harlis, Orange
By Thonet, Eddie Harlis
Located in Los Angeles, CA
The ST 664 chair designed by Eddie Harlis in 1954. Thonet manufactured the chairs in Germany. These chairs are no longer produced. The chair has an orange painted finish and are made...
Steel, Chrome
Art Nouveau Thonet Cradle, Bentwood, circa 1900
By Thonet
Located in Budapest, Budapest
Beautiful Thonet cradle from the 1900s. The cradle is damaged at the bottom; the lower wooden part is broken (visible in the photo) and has been subseq...
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
1931, Mart Stam for Thonet, Turquoise Wooden S43
By Thonet, Mart Stam
Located in Amsterdam IJMuiden, NL
This item is part of the private collection of Casey Godrie and is situated in his private house. Ask him for competitive shipping quotes. His incredible Dune Villa, Amsterdam Beach...
Metal, Chrome
Walter Gropius, Armchairs, Oak, Velvet, USA, 1970s
By Thonet, Walter Gropius
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of oak and purple velvet armchairs designed by Walter Gropius in 1951, produced by Thonet, Statesville, North Carolina, USA, c. 1970s. Dimensions: 29.5” H x 24” W x 19” D Se...
Velvet, Oak
S33 Chairs by Mart Stam for Thonet, 1980s, Set of 2
By Mart Stam, Thonet
Located in Radomsko, Województwo łódzkie
Introducing the iconic S33 Chair Set by Mart Stam, proudly crafted by Thonet. This collection, produced during the 1980s in Germany, pays homage to the timeless designs of the Bauhau...
Steel, Chrome
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious 03 in Lacquered Wood an Green Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious in Lacquered Wood and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the m...
Steel
Set of Six Thonet Vienna Bentwood Armchairs, Austria, 1991
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Classic bentwood armchair produced under the Thonet Vienna lineage in Austria, dated 1991. Featuring a gracefully curved wooden frame, bentwood arms and original upholstered seat and...
Wood, Beech, Bentwood, Fabric
$734Sale Price|25% Off
Vintage Thonet Bentwood Oak Chair With Original Label, Czechoslovakia, 1920s
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Zohor, SK
This elegant vintage chair, crafted by the renowned Thonet company, is a distinguished example of bentwood design. Featuring the original manufacturer’s label, the piece showcases Th...
Bentwood
Gerd Lange Set of Two Stools designed for Thonet, 1970s
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Antwerp, BE
Rare set of two stools designed by GERD LANGE for Thonet. also available set of four chairs.
Wood
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Nordic 01 in White Oak and Caramel Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious in Lacquered Wood and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the m...
Steel
1900s Original Side Table Bella Epoque by Fischel & Söhne Thonet style Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Vigonza, Padua
A little hard to find jewel of Belle Époque period by Fischel & Söhne Measures cm: H 70 x W 58 x D 37. Belle Epoque refined side table by Fischel & Söhne, bearing the incised maker...
Beech
Bentwood mute servant by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bentwood mute servant by Thonet in original vintage condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Nordic 03 in White Oak and White Alabaster Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Nordic in oak and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the most famous t...
Steel
Vintage Thonet Armchair, Steel Frame, Herringbone Pattern, Germany
By Thonet
Located in Hamburg, DE
Big Thonet steel pipe armrest chair with a special cover in the herringbone pattern.Elegant chair or armchair. The continuous … Read more Big Thonet steel pipe armrest chair with a s...
Metal
Norman Foster - Leather Lounge Chairs by Thonet, A 903PF, 1999
By Thonet, Sir Norman Foster
Located in Rosendahl, DE
Norman Foster Lounge Chairs, Model A 903PF for Thonet Stunning A 903PF lounge chairs, designed by celebrated architect Norman Foster for Thonet. These chairs showcase Foster’s hallm...
Leather
1960s Oswald Haerdtl Chair by TON Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Oswald Haerdtl
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made of stained beech wood and beech plywood - The wooden parts have been repolished - Height of armrests: 64 cm
Beech, Plywood, Wood
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious 04 in Lacquered Wood an Blue Leather
By Thonet
Located in Tilburg, NL
Jil Sander for Thonet S 64 P Serious in Lacquered Wood and Leather. New, current production. With the JS . THONET signature collection, she has taken the m...
Steel
Early Mid-Century Modern Thonet Armchair Attributed To Russel Wright
By Thonet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This early Mid-Century Modern lounge armchair was manufactured by Thonet circa late 40s - early 50s. This chair design has been attributed to the noted American Modern designer Russe...
Maple, Fabric
Thonet Chair HO. 41, 1905s
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet chair HO 41, restored in good condition. Designed by Michael Thonet.
Plywood
Mart Stam for Thonet Lounge Chair in Weathered Solid Iroko and Stainless Steel
By Thonet, Mart Stam
Located in Tilburg, NL
Mart Stam Lounge Chair for Thonet in Weathered Solid Iroko and Stainless Steel, Germany, early 21st century. Beautiful and rare lounge version of the S40 chair by Mart Stam, which i...
Stainless Steel
Big Old Thonet Furniture Poster, 1920s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1926 - Original poster - Beautiful decoration - for the conditions see the photos jr.
Glass, Paper
Art Nouveau Side Chair Designed by Thonet, Austria, 1910
By Thonet
Located in Antwerp, BE
Classic collectible chair by famous German-Austrian cabinetmaker Michael Thonet. Bentwood frame with hooped legs. The seat is embossed with a decorative floral motif.
Bentwood
Thonet Chair in Birch and Plastic by Gerd Lange, West-Germany, 1973
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Pijnacker, Zuid-Holland
Designer: Gerd Lange Manufacturer: THONET Model: Flex chair Material: Birch / Plastic Design period: 1973 Size in cm: 49 x 49 x 79 seat height 46cm. Condition: Good...
Plastic, Birch
$2,567 / item
Slatted Arm Chair Art Nouveau designed by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Antwerp, BE
Rare set of two slatted art nouveau arm chairs in used original condition. Designed by Thonet Austria.
Bentwood
Restored Nesting Tables, by M. Breuer for Thonet, Oak, Chrome, Czech, 1920s
By Marcel Breuer, Thonet
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This set of four nesting tables is a masterpiece of modernist furniture and an icon of the Bauhaus school from the early 20th century. The visionary Marcel Breuer, one of the first t...
Steel, Chrome
2x KS 46 Midcentury Sessel Thonet Anton Lorenz Leder schwarz
By Thonet, Anton Lorenz
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten zwei wunderschöne Vintage Freischwinger von Thonet zum Verkauf an. Der Entwurf stammt von Anton Lorenz aus dem Jahr 1932 und gilt dank seiner zeitlosen Formgebung als wahr...
Chrome, Steel
Marcel Breuer for Thonet B35 Mid Century Chrome and Rattan Lounge Chairs - Pair
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Franklin Park, IL
Marcel Breuer for Thonet B35 Mid Century Chrome and Rattan Lounge Chairs - Pair Each chair measures: 25.5 wide x 31.5 deep x 32.75 high, with a seat height of 14.5 and arm height/ch...
Chrome
Set of 4 Parisian Cafe Dining Chairs by Thonet from Musee d'Orsay
By Thonet
Located in Miami, FL
Four stackable French cafe dining chairs manufactured by Thonet from and designed for the Musee D'Orsay Restaurant in Paris, France. These we...
Beech, Fabric
Folding Chair, Thonet, 1920's
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- made in Czechoslovakia - made of wood - good, original condition.
Wood
$2,364 / set
Six chairs Thonet Nr.41, 1885
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Completely renovated in the recent past. Solid and compact. Perfectly cleaned and polished with shellac. Model No. 41 appeared in Thonet catalogs in 1885. The most famous use of the...
Beech, Bentwood
Original 430 Chair by Verner Panton for Thonet, 1960s
By Alexander Girard, Thonet
Located in Dronten, NL
An exceptional and rare original 430 Chair designed by Verner Panton for Thonet, produced for only a very short period in the 1960s. This piece represents a unique collaboration betw...
Steel, Chrome
Jugendstil Thonet Brown Beech Shoe Stool by Josef Hoffmann attr. c 1907, Vienna
By Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil Thonet brown beech shoe stool was designed circa 1907 and executed by Gebr. Thonet Vienna attributed to Josef Hoffmann. A gorgeous Jugendstil sho...
Beech
Art Deco Beech Brown Vintage Valet or Coat Rack by Thonet Austria, circa 1920
By Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
The elegant vintage beech valet or coat rack shows all features, what you are looking for. Two racks and one reling for your clothes and a parking space with wooden slats for your s...
Beech
Mid Century Thonet No 10 Bentwood and Cane Rocker w/ Rose Damask Velvet Cushions
By Thonet
Located in Germantown, MD
Mid-Century Thonet No 10 Bentwood and Cane Rocker with Rose Damask Velvet Cushions. Measures 20" in width, 43" in depth and 39" in height. Seat height is 18".
Velvet, Cane, Bentwood
Set of 4 Gerd Lange 'Flex 2000' Chairs in Beech and Plastic for Thonet 1973
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Tilburg, NL
Set of 4 Gerd Lange 'Flex 2000' Chairs in Beech and Plastic for Thonet 1973. This is a set of highly sculptural and avant garde chairs by designer G...
Plastic, Beech
$6,442Sale Price|20% Off
Vintage Germany Icon Bauhaus B35 Black Leather Chair by Marcel Breuer for Thonet
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Warszawa, Mazowieckie
This design icon from 1928, the B35 armchair, was designed by Marcel Breuer in the late 1920s and made by the German Thonet factory in the early 1930s. This piece is made of tubular steel and black leather with natural patina. The materials used and the traces of wear show that this is an early production of this timeless modell. The armrests are finished with solid wood. Following the success of his Wassily chair, Breuer continued to experiment with tubular steel furniture. Like the Wassily chair, the B35 was not a direct representative of the Bauhaus school, but is clearly in line with the Bauhaus design and construction principles, with a modern, stripped-down form made of industrial materials not used today in furniture production. Marcel Breuer was born in 1902 in Hungary. He was an architect and designer. He received a scholarship to study painting and sculpture at the Vienna Academy of Fine Arts in 1920, but quickly quit and applied to the Bauhaus school in Weimar, Germany. After completing the preliminary courses there, he studied at the Bauhaus furniture...
Chrome
Thonet Black Bentwood Stool, Cane & Wood, Art Deco Style, Europe, 1920
By Thonet
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Thonet black bentwood stool - 20th Thonet - Side Stool - Mid-Century Measures : Ø 42cm H:47cm Materials : Wood - Cane Manufacturer’s mark stamped under th...
Cane, Bentwood
Art Deco Thonet Bentwood Dining Chair w/ Bakelite Seat
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This original Thonet bentwood armchair features a Bakelite seat and backrest. The chair's bentwood beech frame is elegantly curved, showcasing the transition between Art Deco and the...
Bakelite, Wood
$2,780 / set
Set of Chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet
By Gerd Lange, Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Set of four chairs by Gerd Lange for Thonet.
Metal
$1,910Sale Price / set|20% Off
Thonet 79 model 207R "Long John" Dining Chairs, 1979
By Thonet
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Design model bentwood 207R "LONG JOHN" Dining Chair set of 5 by Thonet. Marked Thonet 79. Made in 1979. Bend beech wood with flower fabric. Chairs come with original limited ...
Fabric, Beech
libreria etagere art nouveau originale thonet anni 20
By Thonet
Located in taranto, IT
splendida e rara etagere originale degli anni 20 di Thonet, realizzata in legno nella migliore tradizione della famosa casa austriaca, composta da tre mensole poste su livelli divers...
Wood
Mid-Century Modern Pair of Black Thonet Bentwood and Vinyl Chairs
By Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome pair of Thonet bentwood Mid-Century Modern chairs in black with black vinyl upholstery. They are in good vintage condition. The vin...
Faux Leather, Bentwood
Set of Iconic Gerd Lange Table and 4 Lacquered Thonet Style Stools
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Tilburg, NL
Set of Iconic Gerd Lange Table and 4 Lacquered Thonet Stools. Gerd Lange 'Flex 2000' Table for Thonet, 1973 & a wonderful set of Thonet style stools in lacquered wood and webbing. ...
Plastic, Beech, Bentwood
Walter Gropius, Armchairs, Oak, Velvet, USA, 1970s
By Thonet, Walter Gropius
Located in High Point, NC
A pair of oak and purple velvet armchairs designed by Walter Gropius in 1951, produced by Thonet, Statesville, North Carolina, USA, c. 1970s. Seats reupholstered in brand new velvet...
Velvet, Oak
Set Of 8 Mid-Century Modern Dining Chairs By Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This set of eight mid-century modern, customized maple and leather dining chairs by Thonet feature a classic profile that epitomizes a timeless aesthetic. The design is characterized...
Leather, Maple