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.
Pair of Bentwood High Back Dining Chairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Saarbruecken, DE
Pair of beech bentwood high back dining chairs. Signed by Thonet, 1987. Style Arts & Crafts, Art Nouveau. New upholstery, same fabric, differe...
Bentwood
1970s Beech Coffee Table by TON, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition with minor signs of use
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
$3,750 / set
Pair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for Thonet
By Stefan Diez, Thonet
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for Thonet. Original labels. Stefan Diez, born in 1971 in Freising (Germany). After taking courses in architecture and training to be a carpent...
Bentwood
Austrian post-modern chairs by Ernst W. Beranek for Thonet, 1990s
By Thonet
Located in MIlano, IT
Austrian post-modern chairs by Ernst W. Beranek for Thonet, 1990s Set of three chairs with square seat, padded and covered in black fabric with silver geometric pattern. Structure in...
Fabric, Wood
Office Swivel Chair, Thonet Nr.633
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Perfectly restored in the recent past, new shellac polish - high gloss. Beautiful and original surface treatment - "imitation oak wood", where imitation oak wood pores were carved in...
Beech, Bentwood
$3,750 / set
Pair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for Thonet
By Thonet, Stefan Diez
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Pair of 404 F chairs by Stefan Diez for Thonet. Original labels. Stefan Diez, born in 1971 in Freising (Germany). After taking courses in architecture and training to be a carpent...
Bentwood
$2,200 / set
Upholstered Swivel Stools by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Chicago, IL
c. 1970s. Price is for the set. Contact us if you’d like to purchase a single item. Upholstered in red fabric with chrome base. Tagged
Chrome
$389Sale Price|20% Off
Piano Stool Thonet Nr.1, 1920s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
Height-adjustable swivel stool. The seat height is adjustable from 44 to 60 cm. Solidly constructed base, decorative lower legs. Good original condition with signs of use, patina.
Metal
Postmodern Bentwood Dining Chairs 235 F Hartmut Lohmeyer Thonet, 1980s, Set of 4
By Thonet, Hartmut Lohmeyer
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
A vintage set of 4 Thonet 235 F bentwood dining armchairs, designed by Hartmut Lohmeyer for Thonet and produced in Germany, likely in the 1980s. With their dark bentwood frames, roun...
Fabric, Wood, Bentwood
1970s Beech Bentwood Chair by Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered - The height of armrests is 70cm
Wood, Bentwood, Beech
Art Deco Josef Frank Thonet Vintage Chocolate Brown Four Windsor Armchairs c1925
By Josef Frank, Thonet
Located in Vienna, AT
Art Deco vintage four ( 4 ) dining chairs or armchairs from chocolate brown stained beech, design attributed to Josef Frank executed by the company Thonet circa 1925 Austria. Labeled...
Beech
1960s Ton/Thonet Beech Armchair, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly upholstered - Carefully refurbished - The seat height is 39cm
Fabric, Wood, Upholstery, Beech
$1,295Sale Price|60% Off
Thonet S 60 Cantilever Black Leather Armchair by Glen Oliver Löw in STOCK
By Thonet
Located in New York, NY
The S 60 cantilevered seating range: The contemporary interpretation of a familiar typology – suitable for every need incontract and at home Reserved elegance combined with high seat...
Chrome
Otto Wagner Jugendstil One Chair Beech Postal Saving Bank Vienna 1902 Thonet
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
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
1980s Rare Dining/Side Chair by Ton in White Cream Bouclé Fabric
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia. - Newly upholstered. - Wooden parts with minor signs of use. - Measures: height of seat 42 cm. - Cream white color.
Wood, Bouclé
$510Sale Price / set|20% Off
Set of Two Bentwood Chairs, Ton 1989
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- made in Czechoslovakia - made of wood, fabric - the fabric has some signs of use - good, original condition. - seat height 47 cm.
Fabric, Wood
$1,739
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 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
1930 Pair of Armchairs + Spider Table, by Halabala for Thonet, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Jindřich Halabala
Located in Praha, CZ
- Good original condition - Table: 65 x 65 x 65 cm.
Fabric, Wood
$904
Swivel bar stool
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Swivel bar stool with leather seat. Professionally stained and repolished.
Leather, Beech, Bentwood
$361Sale Price|20% Off
1960s Desk or Side Bentwood Chair by Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered - beech wood - armrests Dimension: 44 cm
Wood, 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 - table 50 x 60 X 60 cm
Upholstery, Wood
$718 / item
Bentwood dining chairs by Thonet Mundus
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Bentwood dining chairs by Thonet Mundus. Professionally stained and repolished. Each chair is different but with same seats.
Beech, Bentwood
$1,913 / set
Set of Four Dining Chairs or Thonet, 1960s
By Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Made in Czechoslovakia - Made of beechwood - Presented on the exhibition Expo 58 in Brussel - Good, original condition.
Beech
Art Deco Thonet Chair in Style of Josef Frank
By Thonet, Frank Josef
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Art Deco Thonet chair in style of Josef Frank in very good original condition.
Rattan, Beech
1960 Set of 4 Design Retro Chair, Antonín Šuman for Ton, Czechoslovakia
By Antonín Šuman, Thonet
Located in Praha, CZ
- Design by Antonín Šuman, production by Ton Bystrice pod Hostýnem - Construction with bent beech wood and fabric upholstered seat - Original preserved condition - Measures: Heigh...
Fabric, Beech
$4,451Sale Price / set|20% Off
Early Pair of Bauhaus Chrome Armchairs KF-406 by Walter Knoll for Thonet, 1930s
By Thonet, Walter Knoll
Located in Praha, CZ
- 1930 - extremely rare - maker: Thonet (marked) - design:L Walter Knoll - publicated (see the pictures) - original condition suitable for new upholstery - chrome with patina.
Chrome
Austrian wooden foldable Thonet armchair with Vienna straw, late 1800s
By Thonet
Located in MIlano, IT
Austrian wooden Thonet armchair with Vienna straw, late 1800s Armchair in wood and Vienna straw. The wooden structure has a round section and has rounded lines that form the elements...
Straw, Wood
1930s Marcel Breuer B34 Chair, Czechoslovakia
By Thonet, Marcel Breuer
Located in Praha, CZ
- Newly Chromed - New canvas - Originally painted wooden armrests with some signs of use - Manufacturer: Thonet (TON).
Chrome
Chair Kohn Nr.321, since 1906, Thonet
By Thonet, Jacob & Josef Kohn
Located in Praha, CZ
Original state. Perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack finish. New upholstery surface on the original core.
Brass
1970s Marcel Breuer for Thonet Stool in Chrome and Off-White Fabric
By Marcel Breuer, Thonet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is a Marcel Breuer Stool, originally designed for Thonet in the 1920s. This particular piece dates to the 1970s. The stool features Breuer's signature tubular chrome steel frame...
Steel
7er Set Thonet Stühle 210 P Bugholz 1960er gelb Designklassiker
By Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Wir bieten ein wunderschönes 7er Set äußerst seltener Thonet 210 P Bugholzstühle der frühen Generationen aus den 1960er Jahren zum Verkauf an. Das Holz wurd...
Fabric, Bentwood
1960s Gordon Bunshaft and Davis Allen for Thonet Tuxedo Two Seat Loveseat Sofa
By Davis Allen, Thonet, Gordon Bunshaft
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This is an armless two-seater tuxedo settee / sofa, designed by Davis Allen and Gordon Bunshaft of SOM Architects. This example appears to be a Thonet production, one of the manufact...
Steel
Bentwood Scroll Arm Chair
By Thonet
Located in Queens, NY
19th Century Bentwood arm chair with scroll design and black upholstered seat & back. (signed with THONET label)
Upholstery, Bentwood
Set of Six Thonet Dining Chairs in Wood and Fabric, Austria 1980s
By Thonet
Located in Hellouw, NL
Thonet's history goes back approximately two hundred years and is best known for its wood bending technique. This technique created the characteristic bentwood chairs that were wides...
Fabric, Wood
$1,275 / item
Art deco Thonet armchairs no.428
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Art deco Thonet armchairs no.428 executed by Thonet Debrecen. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
$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
Art nouveau desk chair by Gustav Siegel for Thonet
By Thonet, Gustav Siegel
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Art nouveau desk chair by Gustav Siegel for Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished with new fabric.
Fabric, Beech, Bentwood
$1,159Sale Price / set|20% Off
Pair of 19th century Faux Bamboo Parlor Chairs by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Munich, DE
19th Century bentwood parlor chairs by Thonet. Beautiful gold patina & faded fabric. Both chairs show heavy signs of their age, flaking gold patina, washed out seat fabric & yet the ...
Fabric, Faux Bamboo
1980s Thonet Chrome Cantilever Sled Base Dining Arm Chairs in Grey Fabric
By Thonet
Located in Philadelphia, PA
These are Cantilever Sled Base Dining Armchairs, produced by Thonet in the 1980s. The listed price includes one chair, and we have several identical chairs available for purchase. Th...
Steel, Chrome
Thonet swivel chair no.5541
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Thonet swivel chair no.5541 in original vintage condition with signs of use.
Beech, Bentwood
$556Sale Price|20% Off
Postmodern Thonet Bentwood Armchair Lounge Chair, 1970s
By Thonet
Located in Madison, WI
1970's accent bentwood chair made by Thonet. Condition: Great vintage condition throughout. Additional information: Materials: Bentwood, Upholstery Color: Red Period: 1970s Brand: ...
Bentwood, Upholstery
$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
$1,484Sale 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
Sample Stool by Thonet Brothers - Statesville N.C., United States 1940s
By Thonet
Located in Milan, IT
Sample stool manufactured by Thonet Brothers - Statesville N.C. Plywood frame with maple finish, this rare piece comes with original paper label dated 1948.
Maple
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
Thonet Dining Chair No.733
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Thonet dining chair no.733. professionally stained and repolished with new handmade rattan seat.
Rattan, Beech, 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
Set of Four '4' Slipper Chairs in Original Yellow Plaid Wool Fabric by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Deland, FL
Comfort. Vintage fabric. Captivating bentwood legs. These four slipper chairs are the perfect addition to any space needing a pop of color or a min...
Fabric
EXQUISITE ViCTORIAN THONET ROCKING CHAIR WITH CHERUB CARVED BACK & SEAT PANELS
By Thonet
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this lovely full sized Antique Victorian Thonet circa 1880 rocking chair with hand carved back and seat pane...
Bentwood
Art Nouveau Wing Chair No.6542 by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Art nouveau wing chair no.6542 by Thonet in excellent condition, backhausen fabric.
Fabric, Wood
$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.
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
Secession office chair no.6513 by Otto Wagner
By Otto Wagner, Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession office chair no.6513 by Otto Wagner. Professionally stained and repolished with new fabric.
Brass
Secession dining room chair atr. Otto Prutscher for Thonet
By Thonet, Otto Prutscher
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Secession dining room chair atr. Otto Prutscher for Thonet professionally stained and repolished.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood
Early Nr 5 Chair Thonet Made for First International Exposition in London in 185
By Thonet
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Early model of chair created by thonet in 1851 for first international exposition of London. This example shows some differences with the 2 chairs on catalogue and is a mixed betwee...
Nutwood, Plywood
Jugendstil dining chair by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Jugendstil dining chair by Thonet. Professionally stained and repolished.
Beech, Bentwood
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
Easy armchair no.1 with rattan seat by Thonet
By Thonet
Located in Hronská Breznica, Banskobystrický kraj
Rare easy armchair no.1 with rattan seat by Thonet in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Rattan, Beech, Bentwood