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.
Secession desk chair no.6095 by Otto Wagner for Thonet
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession desk chair no.6095 by Otto Wagner for Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Brass
$9,600Sale Price / set|20% Off
Thonet Dining Chairs, Set of Ten, Perennials Performance Fabric, 1980s
By Thonet
Located in Dallas, TX
A beautiful set of 10 Thonet bentwood dining chairs. Chairs have a padded seat and back. Great lines !! We have reupholstered in a Perennials Performance fabric with blues, grays and...
Upholstery, Oak
$939Sale Price|33% Off
Thonet Black Swivel Austrian Art Nouveau Chair, 1890
By Thonet
Located in Roma, Lazio
Thonet swivel chair for piano from the end of the 1800s. The chair in bent wood, is all in wood polished in black shellac. The seat, round in shape, is still covered with its origin...
Wood
1960s Cinema 5-Seats Bench by TON, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with minor signs of use - The wooden parts has been re-polished - Height of seat 45 cm.
Wood
1980s Chair by Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition. - Made in Czechoslovakia. - Wood cleaned and then treated with revitalizing oil. - Shows signs of use (scratches, scuffs, etc.). - Stable and sturdy. - Ma...
Wood, Beech, Bentwood
$1,292
Thonet Sofa No.56
By August Thonet, Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Thonet sofa no.56 professionally stained and repolished.
Fabric, Bentwood
Eight Josef Hoffmann "Fledermaus" Dining Chairs for Thonet. Original, 1930s.
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Kansas City, MO
The Iconic Fledermaus (German for "bat") chairs designed by the visionary Austrian architect and designer Josef Hoffmann in 1907 for the Cabaret Fledermaus in Vienna. It is a hallmar...
Upholstery, Beech
Anton Lorenz for Thonet "Ss33" Set of 4 chrome Armchairs in blue fabric , 1970s
By Thonet, Anton Lorenz
Located in Praha, CZ
Seat Height 48 chrome polished solid construction good condition
Chrome
Arts and Craft Art Nouveau Set of 8 Bentwood Chairs Signed Thonet, 1900
By Thonet
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Set of 8 Thonet chairs, bentwood with viennese braid. all signed. As found condition. All chairs a solid and stable. 4 of the braids are perf...
Bentwood, Braid
$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
Unique Armchair Thonet B 1045, since 1938
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
It is unique, the only known piece, made to order for a special customer. This unique armchair has never been shown in a regular sales catalog. Documents about the armchair were kept only in the in-house archive of the Thonet company. Thonet B...
Beech, Bentwood
Francesco Zaccone for Thonet Golf Dining Chairs, Germany, 1970
By Francesco Zaccone, Thonet
Located in Almelo, NL
Francesco Zaccone for Thonet golf dining chairs, Germany, 1970 Presenting this stunning set of 12 ‘Golf’ chairs by Francesco Zaccone for Thonet. Beautifu...
Aluminum, Chrome
$1,292 / set
Secession Dining Chairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession bentwood Thonet dining chairs. Professionally stained and repolished with new handmade rattan seats.
Rattan, Bentwood
1930s Pair of Restored Thonet Armchairs, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished and finished in shellac - Newly upholstered - Labeled - Beech wood
Fabric, Wood, Beech
Thonet Flex Set of 3 Chairs by Gerd Lange, 1970s, Germany
By Gerd Lange, Thonet
Located in Hagenbach, DE
Thonet Flex Set of 3 Chairs by Gerd Lange, 1970s, Germany Measurements : Height: 78 cm Width: 50 cm Depth: 47 cm Seat height: 45 cm Please do not hesitate to ask us if you have an...
Wood, Acrylic
1970s Set of Four Restored Beech Bentwood Dining Chairs by TON, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered - Carefully refurbished - heigh of seat 47 cm
Fabric, Upholstery, Wood, Beech
Thonet dining chair no.103
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Thonet dining chair no.103. Professionally stained and repolished.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
set 3 Chair Ludwig Mies van der Rohe "MR10" by Thonet
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Thonet
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
C. 1977 Italian Cantilever Side Chair in Chromed Steel with Caned Seat and Back
By Thonet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Tubular Chromed-Steel Cantilever Z Chair, designed in the 1970s. This chair dates to ca. 1977 and was produced by Thonet. It has a Vienna Braid caned seat and back, and it ...
Chrome, Steel
Thonet S 39 L Cognac Vegetal Leather Bar Stool Chair Mart Stam Set of 3
By Thonet, Mart Stam
Located in Munich, Bavaria
These rare Cantilever vintage Bar Stools chairs are Bauhaus classics and were designed 1926 by Mart Stam and produced by Thonet with the Model name S39 L. They were produced in the 7...
Steel, Chrome
1940s Midcentury Thonet Stool, Europe
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
In good original condition with sign of use
Wood
$2,584 / 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 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
Antique Bentwood Piano Stool by J.J. Kohn, Austria 1900s
By Thonet
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find an antique black lacquer piano stool manufactured by J.J. Kohn. The stool is done in beech bentwood, with the plywood seat. It is fully refinished. The ...
Beech
$2,349 / set
Bentwood dining room chairs by Thonet Austria
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bentwood dining room chairs by Thonet Austria in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
$4,463 / set
Set of 4 bentwood dining room chairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Set of 4 bentwood dining room chairs by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished with new handmade rattan seats.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
$1,541Sale Price / set|20% Off
Josef Hoffmann Armchair – Model No. A 811/F for Thonet
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Budapest, HU
Josef Hoffmann Armchair – Model No. A 811/F for Thonet (1900s) This exquisite armchair, Model No. A 811/F, designed by the renowned architect and designer Josef Hoffmann for Thonet ...
Reed, Beech
Vintage Modern Oak Bentwood & Chrome Two-Seat Settee or Bench Attr to Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Handsome vintage modern two-seat settee or bench of oak bentwood, chrome, and upholstery attributed to Thonet. It is in wonderful vintage condition. The wood, chrome, and fabric are ...
Fabric, Oak, 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
Rare Blac Secession Thonet Chair
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Very rare blac secession Thonet chair.
Beech, Bentwood
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
Large Secession Armchair no.6549 by Josef Hoffmann for Thonet
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Large secession armchair no.6549 by Josef Hoffmann for Thonet professionally stained and repolished. Marked on the bottom.
Bentwood
$927 / set
Set of Four Chairs, 1960s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Maker Ton, Bystrice pod Hostýnem - Retro style, Expo 58, Brusel - Made in Czechoslovakia - Very good, original condition.
Fabric, Wood
Thonet Model K411 cantilever armchair first series Bauhaus tubular steel, 1930
By Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
This rare Thonet Model K411 cantilever armchair, produced around 1930, is an important example of early Bauhaus Modernism and one of the first tubular steel armchairs manufactured in...
Chrome
1960 Set of 4 Retro Suman Chairs and Table, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Antonín Šuman
Located in Praha, CZ
- Designed by Antonín Šuman 1960, production by Fa Jiton and Ton Czechoslovakia. - Veneered table - folded 85 x 85cm, unfolded 85x127cm, height 76cm. - Chairs with bent beech woo...
Fabric, Wood
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
$2,443Sale Price|42% Off
Siesta Medizinal by Hans and Wassili Luckhardt for Thonet, 1930s
By Thonet, Hans & Wassili Luckhardt
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
Bentwood dining chair no.228 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bentwood dining chair no.228 by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
1970s Pair of Beech Armchairs and Coffee Table by TON, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with minor signs of use
Upholstery, Wood
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
$6,460 / set
Set of 4 Fledermaus Chairs Executed by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Set of 4 Fledermaus chairs executed by Thonet in 1999. Original vintage condition with signs of usage.
Fabric, Bentwood
Art nouveau desk chair by Gustav Siegel for Thonet
By Thonet, Gustav Siegel
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Art nouveau desk chair by Gustav Siegel for Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished with new fabric.
Fabric, Beech, Bentwood
$270Sale 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
Vienna Secession Armchair Model 6528 designed by Marcel Kammerer for Thonet
By Marcel Kammerer, Thonet
Located in Beograd, RS
In this listing you will find a beautiful and very rare bentwood armchair, crafted by Marcel Kammerer (1878 – 1959), a Viennese architect and designer who immigrated to Canada after ...
Fabric, Beech
$5,638 / set
Rare bentwood armchairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Rare bentwood armchairs by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
1930s Josef Frank Restored Beech Armcahir by Thonet Model A403/F, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Frank Josef
Located in Praha, CZ
- brushed and oiled surface - Sturdy and stable - Stamped by Thonet - heigh of seat 33 cm
Beech
Original 3er Set Thonet A811/1 Stühle Josef Hoffmann 1951 gepolstert
By Josef Hoffmann, Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes 3er Set gepolsterte Thonet Stühle aus dem Jahr 1951 zum Verkauf an. Die Stühle sind bekannt unter der Modellnummer A811/1 sind hier in der begehrten Ausf...
Wood, Velvet
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
1960s Pair of Ton Armchairs by Jaroslav Smidek, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Jaroslav Smidek
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made of beech wood - Newly upholstered - Carefully refurbished - The seat height is 39 cm.
Fabric, Beech
Set of 4 Postmodern Memphis Era Thonet Vienna Stackable Dining Chairs, 90s
By Thonet
Located in Zagreb, HR
Set of four exceptionally rare and collectible, postmodern Memphis design original Thonet dining chairs. Sculptural and geometrically shaped. Produced by Thonet Vienna in 1996. Qual...
Metal
$728 / item
Bentwood dining chairs by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bentwood dining chairs by Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished. Each chair is different but with same seats.
Beech, Bentwood
$704Sale Price|51% Off
Thonet Office Armchair in Oak, Czechoslovakia, circa 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Zohor, SK
This beautiful office chair was produced by Thonet company. Original burnt in label still slightly visible in the bottom of the chair (see pictures). Made of strong oak wood and plyw...
Oak, Plywood
Set of 6 Mies van der Rohe MR10 white cantilever dining chairs for Thonet, 1980s
By Thonet, Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
Located in amstelveen, NL
An iconic set of 6 MR10 (256CS/MR533) cantilever dining chairs designed by Mies van der Rohe and manufactured by Thonet. Chrome-plated tubular steel frames with white saddle leather ...
Chrome
Modernist Thonet Sculpted Bentwood Sofa
By Thonet
Located in Dallas, TX
Stunning bentwood three-seat sofa manufactured by Thonet, circa 1950s. Features a super stylish organic curved line bentwood arm frame, brass accent details on the back and upholster...
Brass
$1,320Sale Price|41% Off
Post-Modern 1980s Cream Chrome Thonet Lounge Chair
By Thonet
Located in Madison, WI
For sale here is a stunning lounge / side / accent chair made by THONET. This is a very unique model from the 1980s, with a very postmodern Space age vibe. RARE. This sculptural chai...
Chrome
Modernist Thonet Carved and Bentwood Sofa
By Thonet
Located in Dallas, TX
Stunning bentwood three-seat sofa manufactured by Thonet, circa 1950s. Features a super stylish organic curved line bentwood arm frame, brass accent details on the back and upholster...
Upholstery, Wood
$3,288 / set
4x Chairs Thonet Nr.717, Gustav Siegel
By Thonet, Gustav Siegel
Located in Praha, CZ
Perfect original condition, really exceptionally well preserved. Only the upholstery is new, with woven decor inspired by Gustav Klimt paintings. The wooden bases were perfectly clea...
Textile, Bentwood
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
Secession Desk Chair No. 25 by Thonet
By August Thonet, Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Secession desk chair no. 25 by Thonet with new handmade rattan seat professionally stained and repolished.
Rattan, 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