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.
$556Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane Rocking Foot w/ Bolt 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...
Rattan, Oak
S 64 PV Cantilever Armrest Bauhaus Chair by Thonet Frankenberg
By Thonet
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This elegant vintage armchair S 64 PV by Thonet is a refined example of classic European tubular steel furniture. The chair features a beautifully curved chrome-plated tubular steel ...
Metal
Set of two Stools Plywood designed by Gerd Lange for Thonet, 1970s
By Thonet, Gerd Lange
Located in Antwerp, BE
Set of 2 stools designed by Gerd Lange. Gerd Lange is one of the most influential German furniture designers of the 1970s and 1980s. He was known for his extremely down-to-earth, fun...
Metal
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
Pair of Bauhaus Armchairs, by Marcel Breuer for Thonet, Chrome, Czech, 1930s
By Marcel Breuer, Thonet
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This exceptional pair of armchairs in the spirit of Bauhaus functionalism dates from the 1930s in Czechoslovakia and bears the unmistakable signature of prominent designer Marcel Bre...
Chrome, Steel
$7,800Sale Price / set|40% Off
Pair of Streamline Lounge Chairs and Sofa by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Pompano Beach, FL
Pair of streamline lounge chairs and streamline sofa by Thonet in sage cotton velvet and maple stained legs. Dimensions for chairs: 33 H x...
Cotton, Velvet
Pair of Secession Armchairs Atr. Adolf Loos Ex. by Thonet
By Thonet, Adolf Loos
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Pair of secession armchairs atr. Adolf Loos ex. by Thonet in original condition.
Bentwood
$490Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane Children's Side Chair No. 13 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian child size Thonet number 13 side chair features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and elegant round arched back rest....
Oak
Rare Thonet A 403/F bentwood armchair by Josef Frank, 1930s
By Thonet, Frank Josef
Located in PRAHA 5, CZ
This piece is a design classic created by Josef Frank around 1928 for the esteemed manufacturer Gebrüder Thonet. Crafted from mahogany-stained bent beech and beech plywood, it exempl...
Beech
$556Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Dark Bent Oak & Cane 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...
Rattan, Oak
Very rare amrchairs A562 by Otto Prutscher for Thonet
By Otto Prutscher, Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
An exceptional and highly collectible pair of Austrian Vienna Secessionist (Jugendstil) bentwood armchairs, manufactured by the legendary firm Thonet. This iconic geometric design fe...
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
Very rare folding easy chair no.1 by Thonet
By Thonet, Michael Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Very rare folding easy chair no.1 by Thonet professionally stained and repolished with new handmade rattan seat.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
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
$1,946Sale Price / set|30% Off
Thonet Chrome Armchairs, 1960s
By Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet chrome armchairs, 1960s
Chrome
Vienna Secession Dark Stain Bent Oak & Cane Foling Chair No. 01 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian child-size Thonet number 01 folding chair with woven cane seat and backrest. It features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid c...
Wicker, Oak
$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
Thonet Side Chair
By Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Beech bentwood frame with upholsterd seat. Manufactured by Thonet in Austria about 1880.
Beech, Bentwood
Jan Bocan armchair for the Czech Embassy of Sweden Stockholm 1972
By Jan Bočan, Thonet
Located in Paris, IDF
Jan Bočan ( 1937-2010) graduated from the Faculty of Architecture of the Czech Technical University in Prague in 1962. At the age of 30, he won the architectural competition for the...
Wool, Walnut
Thonet Art Nouveau Bentwood Shoe Shine or Fitting Stool, Vienna, Austria, 1900s
By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
A rare Jugendstil / Art Nouveau shoe store fitter’s stool with seat, dating from around 1900–1910, once used in a traditional shoe shop of the early 20th century. Crafted from beech...
Wood, Beech, Bentwood
Rare Pair Plywood Arm Chairs by Joe Atkinson for Thonet NY / Modernist
By Joe Atkinson, Thonet
Located in Buffalo, NY
This pair of vintage mid century modern bent plywood (Lounge) armchairs were designed by Joe Atkinson and manufactured by Thonet Industries in the United States circa 1950. This uniq...
Beech, Bentwood, Plywood
Thonet Chair HO. 41, 1905s
By Michael Thonet, Thonet
Located in Čelinac, BA
Thonet chair HO 41, restored in good condition. Designed by Michael Thonet.
Plywood
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
$556Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Caine Rocking Foot Stool w/ Braces 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
$906Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane Bistro Children's Chair by Thonet No.015
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian style child size Thonet number 15 oak side chair features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and elegant round arched ...
Oak
$665Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession Bent Oak & Cane Bar Stool w/ Backrest by Gebrüder Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian style cane and bent oak bar stool features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and curved back rest. The seat features ...
Cane, Oak
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
Art Deco Six ( 6 ) Dining Chairs Beechwood Otto Prutscher for Thonet circa 1920
By Otto Prutscher, Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
At Deco set of six ( 6 ) dining chairs made from stained beechwood in a beautiful reddish brown color designed by Otto Prutscher for Thonet circa 1920, Vienna. An amazing set of six ...
Beech
$1,653Sale Price / set|20% Off
1960s Antonin Suman Set of Six Beech Dining Chairs, Restored
By Antonín Šuman, Thonet
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
Vintage Thonet Dining Chair, Oak & Plywood, Bauhaus Style
By Thonet
Located in Zohor, SK
Beautiful vintage dining chair produced by Thonet, retaining its original burned factory stamps and paper label on the underside. Crafted from solid oak with an original molded plywo...
Oak, Bentwood, Plywood
$549Sale Price|30% Off
Vienna Secession style Bent Oak & Cane Bistro Children's Chair by Thonet No.015
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
Victorian style child size Thonet number 15 oak side chair features an elegant, sculptural frame crafted from warm-toned bentwood with striking fluid curves and elegant round arched ...
Rattan, Oak
Unique Thonet Desk Chair, Museum Piece
By Thonet
Located in Delft, NL
Unique Thonet desk chair, Museum piece One of our unique Thonet desk chair It's from a collection of a Museum, The Haque, Netherlands The chair ...
Wood
Late Victorian Bent Oak Folding Chair w/ Cane Seat by Gebrüder Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Van Nuys, CA
A historical re-edition with all the charm of past times. A walking stick or folding stool made from bent beech wood with a woven cane seat connecting the three curved legs. The swan...
Wicker, Oak
$1,083Sale Price / set|20% Off
1960s Pair of Ton Armchairs by Jaroslav Smidek, Czechoslovakia
By Jaroslav Smidek, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made of beech wood - Newly upholstered - Carefully refurbished - The seat height is 39 cm.
Fabric, Beech
Gustav Siegel Attributed, Made by Thonet, a Bentwood & Cane Rocking Chair
By Thonet, Gustav Siegel
Located in London, GB
Gustav Siegel attributed, made by Thonet. A bentwood and cane rocking chair.
Cane, Bentwood
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
$275Sale Price|20% Off
Fischel footstool No.1
By Thonet, D. G. Fischell
Located in Praha, CZ
original condition as found, cleaned
Beech, Bentwood
Mid Century Modern Desk Chair by Thonet Circa American 1950’s
By Thonet
Located in Bernville, PA
Beautiful and simple Mid Century Modern desk chair manufactured by Thonet Industries. With very clean lines, this chair blends well with Mid Century modern design as well as the Stre...
Suede, Maple
$1,722
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
Black Leatherette & Steel CM127 Stool by Thonet - 1960s
By Thonet
Located in New York, NY
Iconic CM127 bar stool by Thonet. Black lacquered steel feet and black faux leather original upholstery. Second stool available. This stool will ship from France and can be returned ...
Steel
Secession desk chair by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession desk chair by Thonet, professionally stained and repolished.
Abalone, Beech, Bentwood
Back of the Chairs by Martino Gamper for the Conran Shop/Thonet, 2008
By Thonet
Located in Uppsala, Uppsala
This chair, along with two other models, was commissioned by The Conran Shop in 2008 to the designer Martino Gamper for The London Design Festival and for ...
Bentwood
Chair of the Rings by Martino Gamper for the Conran Shop/Thonet, 2008
By Thonet
Located in Uppsala, Uppsala
This chair, along with two other models, was commissioned by The Conran Shop in 2008 to the designer Martino Gamper for The London Design Festival and for ...
Bentwood
$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
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
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
Secession office chair attr. to Marcel Kammerer for Thonet
By Thonet, Marcel Kammerer
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession office chair attr. to Marcel Kammerer for Thonet in very nice original codition with signs of use.
Fabric, Beech, Bentwood
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 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
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
$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
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
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
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
$597Sale 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
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
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
$2,388Sale 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
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