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.
Art Nouveau Bent Oak & Cane Large Doll Crib by Jacob & Josef Kohn for Thonet
By Thonet, Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Late Victorian bent oak & cane large baby doll crib y Jacob & Josef Kohn for Thonet features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves ...
Oak
$4,800Sale Price / set|20% Off
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
Mid-century modern low table by Thonet Debrecen
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Beautiful vintage coffee table featuring an elegant bentwood frame and two dark smoked glass shelves. The design blends organic shapes with functional mid-century modern style, offer...
Plexiglass, Beech, Bentwood
MCM Danish Bentwood Dining Chair, One Chair, 1960s (2 Available)
By Thonet, Charles Eames
Located in Basel, BS
Stunning very cool Thonet black and Walnut bentwood dining chair. Two available. These are very sturdy, iconic, comfortable dining chairs. They are also excellent options for use a...
Bentwood
Set of 4 Dining Chairs by Oswald Haerdtl for Thonet / TON, 1950s Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Almelo, NL
Set of 4 Dining Chairs by Oswald Haerdtl for Thonet / TON, 1950s Czechoslovakia This elegant set of four dining chairs was designed by Austrian architect Oswald Haerdtl and produced...
Beech
Thonet Lounge Chairs by Peter Maly, Wood & Chrome, Germany, 1980
By Peter Maly, Thonet
Located in Ludwigslust, DE
A set of two exceptional Thonet lounge chairs in excellent condition. The combination of wood, chrome, and synthetic fabric, along with the dynamic lines, gives these chairs a timele...
Chrome
A Rare Triangular Thonet Bentwood Card Table, Circa 1900
By Thonet
Located in London, GB
A Rare Triangular Thonet Bentwood Card Table, Circa 1900 A beautiful bentwood design featuring a triangular playing surface covered in green woollen baize. The table stands on elega...
Beech
Midcentury Set of 5 Thonet High Back Bentwood Dining Chairs
By Thonet
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Set of 5 !!!!! Thonet high back bentwood beech chairs. Solid and stabile. Signed. Fabric can be changed easily.
Bentwood
Set of Four Restored Art Deco Chairs, by Thonet, Beech, Walnut, Czech, 1940s
By Thonet
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This set of 4 chairs is a magnificent and highly aesthetic showcase of furniture design from the transitional period between Art Deco and Mid-Century Modern (1940s). Manufactured in ...
Wood, Beech, Walnut, Lacquer
Thonet Bentwood Nesting Tables Set of Four, Beech Wood, 1900
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Rare and elegant original Thonet bentwood nesting tables dating to approximately 1900–1910. This exceptional four-piece set exemplifies the refined craftsmanship and innovative steam...
Beech, Bentwood
SUPER RARE ORIGINAL ANTiQUE VICTORIAN CIRCA 1880 THONET BENTWOOD COAT RACK STAND
By Thonet
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare, antique original, circa 1880, extra large, Thonet Bentwood solid Beech wood eight prong coa...
Beech, Bentwood
$3,184Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of 4 Blue Cantilever Chairs B43 by Mart Stam for Thonet, Germany, 1930s
By Mart Stam, Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Set 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...
Steel
$2,000 / set
Thonet Bentwood Armchairs
By Thonet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of mid-century modern lounge chairs with sculpted flat bentwood arms. Single "floating" seat and back with tufted buttons. Please confirm location NY or NJ.
Bentwood
Original 19th Century Thonet Associates Vienna Secession Side Table
By Michael Thonet, Thonet
Located in Reading, Berkshire
Original Antique Thonet Associates Hand-Crafted 19th Century Vienna Secession Side Table With An Attractive Turned Tripod Base With An Irregular Table ...
Elm
$3,871 / item
Jugendstil Thonet wardrobe
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Jugendstil Thonet wardrobe in very good original condition with slight signs of use.
Beech
Very rare pre poduction verner panton f-270 loungechairs
By Verner Panton, Thonet
Located in Munich, DE
very rare pre-production lounge chairs by verner panton for thonet. in a very limited first run the chairs where produced without the metal piece attaching the backrest. but the cons...
Metal
$2,403Sale Price|42% Off
Siesta Medizinal by Hans and Wassili Luckhardt for Thonet, 1930s
By Hans & Wassili Luckhardt, Thonet
Located in Ljubljana, SI
Design classic “Siesta Medizinal” by Hans and Wassili Luckhardt for Thonet Frankenberg with a height adjustable leather neck support as well...
Leather, Wood
Mid-Century Modern Maple Bentwood And Bouclé Benches By Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
This rare pair of Mid-Century Modern benches were produced by the famous Austrian furniture company Thonet in the 1940s. Thonet which was founded in 1850 by Michael Thonet, was the f...
Bouclé, Bentwood, Maple
Otto Wagner Jugendstil One Chair Beech Postal Saving Bank Vienna 1902 Thonet
By Thonet, Otto Wagner
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil Otto Wagner One (1) Chair Side Chair Chocolate Brown Beech Postal Saving Bank Vienna - Oesterreichische Postsparkasse 1902 for Thonet 1904/1906 Vienna. An iconic chair or ...
Metal
Thonet Chrome Tubular Steel Armchairs, Leather Upholstery, Customisable, c. 1935
By Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Thonet S 411 tubular steel cantilever armchairs in leather upholstery, designed and manufactured by Thonet, c. 1935. This original tubular steel cantil...
Steel, Chrome
Rare Verner Panton coffee - or sidetable 270 hf
By Verner Panton, Thonet
Located in Munich, DE
rare verner panton side- or coffee table. matching to our four pre-production lounge chairs.
Metal
Set of Iconic Gerd Lange Table and 4 Lacquered Thonet Style Stools
By Gerd Lange, Thonet
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
Set of 4 Gerd Lange 'Flex 2000' Chairs in Beech and Plastic for Thonet 1973
By Gerd Lange, Thonet
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
RARE Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane Easy Chair No. 01 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Rare late bent oak & cane "Easy Chair" No. 01 by Thonet featuring an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and elegant oval arched...
Cane, Oak
Bentwood Chair By Thonet, Czechoslovakia 1940s
By Thonet
Located in Zohor, SK
Beautiful and fully restored vintage bentwood chair produced in Czechoslovakia by Thonet company in 1940s. The chair is made of oak wood construction with molded plywood used for sea...
Bentwood, Plywood
$600Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of Two Rare 1970s Czechoslovakian Bentwood Armchairs by TON in Colorful Patt
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
An exceptionally rare and architecturally compelling set of two modernist armchairs manufactured by the renowned TON furniture works in Czechoslovakia during the 1970s. Utilizing the...
Fabric, Wood, Textile, Bentwood
$3,882 / set
Austrian chairs in wood by Thonet, 1930s
By Thonet
Located in MIlano, IT
Austrian chairs in wood by Thonet, 1930s Set of six chairs made entirely of wood. Features a contoured wooden seat, a backrest with a double horizontal crosspiece, and slightly arch...
Wood
Vienna Secession Black Lacquer Bent Oak Cloud Umbrella Stand by Gebrüder Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Vienna Secession black lacquer bent Cloud umbrella stand or plant stand by Thonet features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves. A...
Oak
19th century bentwood Thonet table
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
19th century bentwood Thonet table professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
Restored Bauhaus Armchair, by A. Lorenz for Thonet, Chrome, Germany, 1930s
By Anton Lorenz, Thonet
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This iconic and cleanly shaped tubular armchair in the spirit of Bauhaus functionalism dates from the 1930s in Germany and bears the unmistakable signature of prominent designer Anto...
Chrome, Steel
Thonet Art Nouveau Slatted Armchairs, Bentwood, Austria, 1910
By Thonet
Located in Antwerp, BE
Rare set of two slatted art nouveau arm chairs in used original condition. Designed by Thonet Austria.
Bentwood
Walter Gropius, Armchairs, Oak, Velvet, USA, 1970s
By Walter Gropius, Thonet
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
$2,120Sale Price|20% Off
Mid Century Thonet Oak Bentwood & Chrome Armchair
By Thonet
Located in Madison, WI
For sale here is a Rare stunning lounge / side / accent bentwood chair made by THONET. The chair is a mid century chair, with refined character, high quality craftsmanship and uni...
Upholstery, Wood
$1,946Sale Price / set|30% Off
Thonet Chrome Armchairs, 1960s
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet chrome armchairs, 1960s
Chrome
Walter Gropius, Armchairs, Oak, Velvet, USA, 1970s
By Walter Gropius, Thonet
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
Rare Antique Gebrüder Thonet Model No. 1 Salon Table
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Acquire a true masterpiece of design history with this extremely rare, authentic Gebrüder Thonet Model No. 1 salon table. Manufactured during the high era of bentwood innovation (180...
Beech, Bentwood
Very rare pre poduction verner panton f-270 loungechairs
By Verner Panton, Thonet
Located in Munich, DE
very rare pre-production lounge chairs by verner panton for thonet. in a very limited first run the chairs where produced without the metal piece attaching the backrest. but the cons...
Metal
Art Nouveau Bentwood Card Table Model No. 8 by Gebrüder Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
An exceptional and highly collectible antique Art Nouveau card or game table (Model No. 8), manufactured by the legendary Gebrüder Thonet Gebrüder Thonet company during the early 20t...
Beech, Bentwood
Pair of Thonet White and Black Bentwood & Bakelite Stacking Stools, 1930s
By Thonet, Alvar Aalto
Located in Bainbridge, NY
Early pair of Black and White Thonet Nesting Tables, Stacking Stools. Featuring circular White Bakelite 14D seats atop Black, ebonized, bentwood legs. Attributed to Alvar Aalto. St...
Bakelite, Wood
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
$682Sale Price|30% Off
Early Modernist 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....
Oak
$1,975Sale Price / set|69% Off
4 Thonet Arm chairs in red pleather
By Thonet
Located in Bronx, NY
A set of 4 Arm chairs. Bentwood and upholstered back and seat in red pleather.
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
Art Deco Thonet H269 Armchair by Jindřich Halabala
By Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Beech bentwood walnut stained armchair made by Thonet in the 1930s. Excellent restored with new seat springs upholstered with Lelievre wool fabric. Another fabric and wood finish o...
Beech, Bentwood
Very rare jugendstil dining chair no.522 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Very rare jugendstil dining chair no.522 by Thonet in very nice original condition.
Beech, Bentwood
Bentwood dining room chair by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Bentwood dining room chair by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
$1,479Sale Price / set|20% Off
4 Sedie Thonet originali anni '50
By Thonet
Located in Manzano, IT
4 Sedie Thonet originali anni '50 sono presenti lievi macchie sul tessuto della seduta (come in foto)
Fabric, Wood
$640Sale Price / item|20% Off
1 Mid Century Thonet Bentwood Dining Chair 12 available
By Thonet
Located in Pasadena, TX
One Thonet Bentwood Dining Chairs 1970s Rare oak bentwood dining chairs in a colorful upholstery. We have 12 available See similar chair in ...
Oak
$556Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Light Bent Oak & Caine Rocking Foot Stool by Thonet No.7001
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian Thonet No.7001 rocking chair foot stool featuring an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and elegant round arched back res...
Wicker, Oak
Mid Century Thonet Armchairs with Sheepskin Upholstery, a Pair
By Thonet
Located in Raleigh, NC
Experience timeless elegance with this rare high-back pair of Thonet bentwood lounge chairs, circa 1950. These stunning pieces showcase the masterful craftsmanship of bentwood const...
Sheepskin, Birch
Original Magazine Rack Designed Thonet, Model No 1
By Thonet
Located in Lejre, DK
Magazine rack in beechwood. Designed by Thonet, 1900s. Made in Austria. Great original condition.
Beech
$813Sale Price / set|20% Off
1960s Oswald Haerdtl, Set of 4 Dining Chairs by TON, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Oswald Haerdtl
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with minor signs of use - original upholstery with minor sings of use
Fabric, Wood
Dining room chairs B-47 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Dining room chairs B-47 by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Fabric, Beech
$785Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of Four Dining Chairs/ Thon 'Thonet', 1970s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of wood, fabric - New upholstery - Solid - Wooden parts has some signs use - Good, original condition.
Fabric, Wood
$1,733
Thonet dining chair
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Thonet dining chair with new hand-woven rattan seat. Professionally stained and repolished.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Thonet dining chair no.103
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Thonet dining chair no.103. Professionally stained and repolished.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
$1,109Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of Two 1960s Czechoslovakian Armchairs by Ton
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
A distinguished pair of mid-century armchairs produced by Ton in Czechoslovakia during the 1960s. Carrying the legacy of Thonet’s expert woodworking, these chairs feature a dynamic a...
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood
Thonet B 18 Table by Marcel Breuer, 1930s
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in PRAHA 5, CZ
Designed by Marcel Breuer in the late 1920s and produced by Thonet in the 1930s, the B 18 table is a masterclass in radical reduction — where each line exists with purpose, and nothi...
Steel, Chrome
Set of Four White Thonet nr. 14 Armchairs with Wicker Seats, Vienna, 1960s
By Thonet
Located in Den Haag, NL
Set of four early edition White Thonet nr.14 (later produced as number 214) armchairs with wicker seats, Vienna, 1960s. These chairs have old labels instead of the later produced stamps Thonet used...
Wicker, Wood
$1,890Sale Price|30% Off
Late Victorian Polished Rosewood Bent Wood Scrolling Console Table by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Rare late Victorian polished rosewood scrolling console table crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves with a solid rosewood top. A great design showcasing the hal...
Rosewood