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.
Bentwood and Cane Thonet "Caminsessel" / Fire Place Chair No. 1, c. 1860
By Thonet
Located in Surbiton, GB
Rare folding cane chair from the aesthetic movement, produced by Thonet, c.1860. In fair condition, with minor scuffs to the frame and a small area...
Cane, Bentwood
$800Sale Price / item|20% Off
S 32 Cantilever Thonet Side Chair
By Thonet, Mart Stam
Located in Pasadena, TX
S 32 Cantilever Thonet side chair S 32 Cantilever chair combines the tubular steel frame with leather upholstered seat and backrest for comfort. Price for 1...
Chrome
Otto Wagner For Thonet Bentwood Armchair No. 6048, Austria, C. 1900
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Zohor, SK
Fully restored bentwood armchair produced by Thonet and designed by Otto Wagner circa 1900, catalogued as model No. 6048. A refined example of early modern Viennese design, combining...
Bentwood, Plywood
ORIGINAL ANTIQUE THONET SWiVEL BERGERE DESK CAPTAINS ARMCHAIR MODEL NUMBER 3
By Thonet
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this super rare, original, antique, Thonet Model No 3 swivel bergère chair circa 1900 Please note the deliv...
Bentwood
Italian mid-century big beech wood and Vienna straw Thonet chairs, 1950s
By Thonet
Located in MIlano, IT
Italian mid-century big beech wood and Vienna straw Thonet chairs, 1950s. Large chairs or armchairs with armrests in Thonet style, with Vienna straw seat and curved armrests and with...
Straw, Beech
Thonet Sider Chairs Attributed to Marcel Kammerer
By Thonet, Marcel Kammerer
Located in Vienna, AT
Katalog No, A 335 beech bentwood with plywood seat and backrest attributed to Marcel Kammerer. Professionaly restored. Signed Thonet on the frame.
Beech, Bentwood, Plywood
$6,256Sale 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
$660Sale Price / set|40% Off
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Bentwood Side Chairs w/ Nailhead Back by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Pair of Mid-Century bentwood side chairs with brown Naugahyde seat covers and decorative steel nail-head studded seat back by Thonet. This side chair features a sculptural, minimalis...
Bentwood
Cafe Capua Chair no.519 by Adolf Loos for Thonet
By Adolf Loos, Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Iconic Design: The No. 519 Café Capua Chair Experience a piece of architectural history with the No. 519 Café Capua chair. Designed in 1913 by the pioneering modernist architect Adol...
Beech, Bentwood
Art Nouveau Seating Set by Otto Wagner for Thonet, 1910s
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Set of Thonet sofa type 6285 and two armchairs Thonet 6585. Rare type designed by Otto Wagner. Recently reupholstered. Shellac finish. Dimensions of a...
Upholstery, Beech
Thonet S 33 Vintage Black Saddle Leather Chair Mart Stam Cantilever, Set of 4
By Mart Stam, Thonet
Located in Munich, Bavaria
Thonet Mart Stam S33 chair in made by Thonet. The Classic Bauhaus chair. Frame chrome-plated tubular steel, saddle leather black Beautiful Vintage Condit...
Steel, Chrome
Thonet MCM bent plywood leather chair , circa 1960
By Thonet
Located in Miami, FL
Thonet bent plywood mod 1294 leather chair circa 1960
Leather, Plywood
$5,565 / set
Rare bentwood armchairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Rare bentwood armchairs by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
Pair of Antique Armchairs Model B28 by Thonet, bentwood and cane, Austria 1920s
By Thonet
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an elegant pair of Thonet B28 armchairs, estimated to date from the 1920s. These chairs beautifully demonstrate Thonet’s mastery of bentwood constructio...
Cane, Bentwood
$1,391 / set
Two Chairs Thonet 811, Josef Hoffmann
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Praha, CZ
Original state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished.
Bentwood
$2,240Sale Price / set|20% Off
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
1 of 20 Postmodern Memphis Era Thonet Vienna Stackable Signed Dining Chairs, 90s
By Thonet
Located in Zagreb, HR
Exceptionally rare and collectible, postmodern Memphis design original Thonet dining chairs. Sculptural and geometrically shaped. Sold per piece. Twenty pieces available. Produced...
Metal
Thonet Model 411 Cantilever Armchair and Ottoman, Bauhaus Design
By Thonet
Located in München, Bavaria
Dimensions: Armchair: approx. 60 × 85 × 82 × 44 cm (23.6" × 33.5" × 32.3" × 17.3") Width × Depth × Height × Seat Height Ottoman: approx. 60 × 45 × 40 cm (23.6" × 17.7" × 15.7") Width...
Steel, Chrome
1960s Antonin Suman Set of Six Beech Dining Chairs, Restored
By Thonet, Antonín Šuman
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered - Carefully refurbished - Armchairs dimensions: Height: 78 cm ,Seat height 47cm Width: 55cm ,Depth: 56cm ,Height of the armrests: 68 cm
Fabric, Wood
$1,335Sale Price|40% Off
Thonet Bentwood Armchair with Purple Seat
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
This elegant 1950s lounge chair by Thonet features undulating blond bentwood arms and continues seat. The chair has been professionally recovered in period Purple.
Wood
$1,187Sale Price|20% Off
1930s Josef Frank Restored Beech Armcahir by Thonet Model A403/F, Czechoslovakia
By Frank Josef, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- brushed and oiled surface - Sturdy and stable - Stamped by Thonet - heigh of seat 33 cm
Beech
4 Dining Chairs, with original labels (Restoration at the client's choice)
By Thonet
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
4 Chairs Made for Argentina by Thonet. It is verified on the label that it has the word Manufacturing in Spanish (Fabricacion Checo-Eslovaca) / Thonet Delivered restored at the custo...
Wood
Jugendstil swivel desk chair by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Jugendstil swivel desk chair by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Pair of Mid-Century Modern Leather Bentwood Swivel Armchairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Pair of Mid-Century Modern, bent maple, swivel armchairs by Thonet with newly upholstered seats, backs and armrests in cream leather. Measure: The arm height is 26 inches.
Leather, Maple
Set of 2 Thonet Armchairs, Model B246, 1930s, Restored & Reupholstered
By Josef Frank, Thonet
Located in Wrocław, Poland
This set of 2 armchairs was produced by Thonet (original paper labels are still under the seats as you may see in the attached picture) and most probably designed by Josef Frank. Thi...
Linen, Bentwood
$6,377 / set
Set of 4 Fledermaus Chairs Executed by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Set of 4 Fledermaus chairs executed by Thonet in 1999. Original vintage condition with signs of usage.
Fabric, Bentwood
Secession desk chair no.6095 by Otto Wagner for Thonet
By Thonet, Otto Wagner
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession desk chair no.6095 by Otto Wagner for Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Brass
$2,782 / set
Four Thonet bent beech and perforated wood
By Thonet
Located in Milano, IT
Four bent beech and perforated wood chairs with cane seats. Thonet manufacture, Austria, circa 1920s.
Bentwood
Rare Bauhaus Mart Stam tubular chair by Thonet / original green colour!!
By Thonet, Mart Stam
Located in Praha, CZ
- Thonet - Before 1930, earliest model, practically unseen - Original red eisengarn, iron fabric, perfect condition, original screws - Lacquered in original green seen in Thonet col...
Steel
$640Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of vintage Thonet folding chairs 1930s
By Thonet
Located in PRAHA 5, CZ
Rare and appealing pair of folding chairs originally from an outdoor cinema are perfect for any modern space. Crafted by Thonet in the 1930s, these chairs remain in good original con...
Beech
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
Pair of 1930's Thonet Bentwood Armchairs in the style of Alvar Aalto
By Thonet
Located in Chicago, IL
This lovely pair of 1930's Thonet bentwood lounge chairs was recently reupholstered in an amazing performance fabric from HBF textiles (Merci Boucle in their Du Jour colorway). The ...
Upholstery, Bentwood
Michael Thonet Suite of a Bench and Two Side Chairs
By Thonet
Located in London, GB
A vintage suite consisting of a bench and two side chairs in black lacquered solid bentwood by Thonet, Austria, first half of the 20th century. The de...
Beech, Cane
$4,637 / set
Secession armchairs no.6513 by Otto Wagner
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession armchairs no.6513 by Otto Wagner for Thonet in original vintage condition.
Fabric, Beech, Bentwood
$3,014 / set
Set of 4 dining room chairs by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Set of 4 dining room chairs by Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
Pierre Paulin pair of CM236 armchairs chrome satin wool velvet 1960
By Pierre Paulin, Thonet
Located in Paris, IDF
This beautiful pair of CM236 armchairs was designed in the 1960s by Pierre Paulin and produced by Thonet. The model fully embodies the formal research conducted by the French designe...
Chrome
$266Sale Price / item|50% Off
Dining Chair by Thonet in Original Vintage Silk & Oak, Czechoslovakia, 1940s
By Thonet
Located in Zohor, SK
Elegant dining chair produced by Thonet company in an original condition. The chair is made of strong oak wood with upholstered seat and backrest. The fabric is vintage silk. Some patina is visible on the wooden parts which adds to the vintage look...
Silk, Oak, Bentwood
$8,696 / set
Jindrich Halabala H-269 Armchairs
By Thonet, Jindřich Halabala
Located in Mouscron, WHT
Jindrich Halabala H-269 Armchairs the wood has a very nice patina, the fabric needs to be redone
Beech
6er Set Thonet S 61V Stuhl S60 Konferenzstuhl Freischwinger
By Ulrich Bohme, Wulf Schneider, Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten eins von insgesamt drei wunderschönen 4er Set Thonet Freischwingern zum Verkauf an. Bei den Stühlen handelt es sich um das Modell S320, das stapelbar ist und von Ulrich Bö...
Fabric, Wood
1960s Pair of Ton/Thonet Beech Armchairs, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Wooden parts have been repolished. Seat Height 43cm.
Fabric, Wood
Modernist Thonet A 745/F Armchair manufactured by Tatra, Stained Wood, c. 1930
By Tatra, Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Modernist armchair modell A 745/F in stained bentwood designed by Thonet and manufactured under Thonet licence by Tatra, Slovakia, c. 1930.
Bentwood
Bentwood dining chair no.228 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Bentwood dining chair no.228 by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
1960s Pair of Beech Armchairs by Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered. - Wooden parts have been refurbished. - Height of seat 45 cm.
Fabric, Beech
$2,550 / set
4x chair J&J Kohn Nr.415, Gustav Siegel, 1906
By Thonet, Gustav Siegel
Located in Praha, CZ
"Viennese Art Nouveau, variant of chair no. 415, designed by Gustav Siegl in 1906, manufactured by J&J Kohn. In beautiful original condition. Solid, ready to be upholstered. Minor ...
Bentwood
Bentwood Armchair by Thonet, Beech and Fabric, 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Brussels, BE
Bentwood armchair by Thonet, Beech and Fabric, 1930s Europe.
Bentwood
Austrian post-modern chairs 411 by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet, 1990s
By Thonet, Marcel Kammerer
Located in MIlano, IT
Austrian post-modern chairs 411 by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet, 1990s Set of three chairs model 414 with square seat and oval backrest, padded and covered in bright purple silk fabric...
Fabric, Wood
Pair of Contemporary S 35 Lounge Chairs by Marcel Breuer for Thonet
By Marcel Breuer, Thonet
Located in Norwalk, CT
This pair of iconic S 35 lounge chairs features heavy-duty black leather seats slung over tubular polished chrome frames, with black stained beechwood armres...
Chrome
Thonet office chair with rattan seat
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Thonet office chair with rattan seat professionally stained and repolished, new handmade rattan seat.
Rattan, Beech
Jugendstil Otto Wagner Chair Beech 1902 Postal Saving Bank Vienna Thonet
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Jugendstil Otto Wagner One ( 1 ) Chair Side Chair Chocolate Brown Beech Österreichische Postsparkasse 1902 for Thonet 1904/1906 Vienna. An iconic chair or side chair by the famed Aus...
Beech
$5,217 / set
Set Of 6 Thonet Chairs No. 2 Napoleon III
By Thonet
Located in Charmes, FR
Beautiful set of 6 chairs, model no. 2, by Thonet. This model is visible in the 1899 catalog, but these chairs were produced much earlier. Between 1870 and 1880. Late Napoleon III pe...
Wood
214K chair by Micheale Thonet for Thonet
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Ravenna, IT
The famous coffee chair designed by Michael Thonet in 1859 is still considered the world's most successful industrial product. It marks the beginning of the history of modern furnitu...
Reed, Hardwood
12 Dining Chairs, Manufactured for export in Argentina, with original labels
By Thonet
Located in Ciudad Autónoma Buenos Aires, C
12 Chairs Made for Argentina by Thonet. It is verified on the label that it has the word Manufacturing in Spanish (Fabricacion Checo-Eslovaca) / Thonet Delivered restored at the cust...
Wood
set 3 Chair Ludwig Mies van der Rohe "MR10" by Thonet
By Thonet, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in Firenze, FI
Ludwig Mies Van Der Rohe "MR10" by Thonet set 3 chair. - Chromed tubular steel frame - Original rattan or cane seat - Designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe and produced by Thonet...
Steel
Set of 4 Original Thonet Dining Chairs in Green Velvet, 1950s
By Thonet
Located in Almelo, NL
Set of 4 Original Thonet Dining Chairs in Green Velvet, 1950s This exquisite set of 4 original Thonet dining chairs from the 1950s embodies the timeless elegance of mid-century mod...
Upholstery, Beech
Gerd Lange for Thonet Set of 4 ‘Flex’ Dining Chairs c.1980
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in London, GB
A set of four ‘Flex’ dining chairs designed by Gerd Lange for Thonet, circa 1980. Constructed from birch plywood with flexible plastic backrests, these chairs exemplify the German de...
Plastic, Birch
Set of Six Dining Chairs by Jozef Gorcia & Andreas Krob for Thonet Model S78
By Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Set of six very comfortable armchairs. Made in the 1990s by Thonet in Germany. Classic model, straw back, the backs are slightly damaged on some chairs, see pictures. Designed in t...
Steel
Josef Frank Armchair, Model No. 403/F, 1928
By Josef Frank, Thonet
Located in Chicago, IL
Josef Frank Armchair, Model No. 403/F, 1928 This Armchair, designed by Josef Frank in 1928, features a stained bent beech frame and stained beech plywood. It was manufactured by Gebr...
Bouclé, Beech
Set of Two '2' Bentwood Slipper Chairs in Original Fabric by Thonet, USA, 1940s
By Thonet
Located in Deland, FL
Comfort. Vintage fabric. Captivating bentwood legs. These two slipper chairs are the perfect addition to any space needing a pop of color and/or a minimal footprint. The original yel...
Fabric
Pair of Thonet Bentwood and Bakelite Stacking Stools, Mid Century Modern
By Alvar Aalto, Thonet
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Thonet Bentwood and Bakelite Stacking Stools. The white bakelite tops are 14" in diameter. Ready for a new home.
Bakelite, Bentwood
Set of 7 Thonet Antique Bentwood Dining Chairs, Ebonized Wood
By Thonet
Located in Queens, NY
SET of 7 Antique Bentwood dining chairs with steam bent ebonized wooden frames with caned seats and backs, resting on four gently curved...
Wood, Ash