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Thonet Chairs

Austrian, German

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.

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Period: 1930s
Creator: Thonet
Bauhaus chair no.811 by Josef Hoffmann
By Josef Hoffmann, Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Bauhaus chair no.811 by Josef Hoffmann for Thonet in very nice original condition with signs of use.
Category

1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Rattan, Beech, Bentwood

Set of 8 Bentwood Caning Chairs by Thonet, Austria 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Brussels, BE
Set of 8 bentwood caning chairs by Thonet - Austria 1930s.
Category

1930s Austrian Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Bentwood

Art Deco Thonet Chair in Style of Josef Frank
By Thonet, Frank Josef
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
Art Deco Thonet chair in style of Josef Frank in very good original condition.
Category

1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Rattan, Beech

Ludwig Mies van der Rohe Weißenhof Mr 10 / Mr 533 Chairs Manufactured by Thonet
By Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
A pair of original Weißenhof MR 10 / MR 533 tubular steel chairs, designed in 1927 by Mies van der Rohe and manufactured by Thonet in the 1930s. Chrome-plated tubular steel and black...
Category

1930s German Bauhaus Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Steel

Original Anton Lorenz for Thonet Cantilevered Steel Tube SS33 Chair, 1930s
By Anton Lorenz, Thonet
Located in New York, NY
Anton Lorenz (1891–1966) Timeless, early edition Bauhaus Model SS33 cantilevered armchair by Anton Lorenz for Thonet, circa 1930, ...
Category

1930s German Art Deco Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Chrome, Steel

Pair of Chairs by Mart Stam for Mücke-Melder 'Under License from Thonet', 1930s
By Mücke & Melder, Mart Stam, Thonet
Located in Berlin, DE
Pair of 1930s cantilever chairs, designed by Mart Stam and manufactured by Mücke-Melder in Czech Republic under license from Thonet.
Category

1930s Czech Bauhaus Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Chrome

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).
Category

1930s Czech Art Deco Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Chrome

Thonet Pair of Chairs in Cherry and Burgundy Upholstery
By Thonet
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Thonet, pair of chairs, cherry, fabric, Germany, 1930s This unique pair of chairs has a splendid construction that epitomizes a simplistic, natural and timeless aesthetics. The desi...
Category

1930s German Art Deco Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Cherry

Bentwood Armchair by Thonet, Beech and Fabric, 1930s
By Thonet
Located in Brussels, BE
Bentwood armchair by Thonet, Beech and Fabric, 1930s Europe.
Category

1930s Austrian Art Nouveau Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Bentwood

Rare Thonet Deck Chair Model 480, circa 1930
By Thonet, Hans & Wassili Luckhardt
Located in Amsterdam, NL
Rare deck chair manufactured by Thonet with original upholstery, circa 1930. The chair is possible to reclinate and to fold it totally. Beechwood and fabric. Labeled in the backside with Thonet G80. In great vintage condition, preserving a beautiful patina with some minor scratches in the fabric. One of the handles is new. First design named Siesta chair designed by Hans and Wassily...
Category

1930s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Vintage Thonet Chairs

Materials

Fabric, Wood

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Thonet Bauhaus White Vinyl & Chrome Model SS33 Cantilever Barstool Anton Lorenz
By Anton Lorenz, Thonet
Located in Topeka, KS
Fabulous vintage white vinyl & chrome tube barstool by Thonet Model SS33 Bauhaus cantilever chair by Anton Lorenz. This piece is tagged Thonet but has been attributed to Anton Lorenz based upon archived research including online sources, vintage documentation and catalogs, designer literature, and other materials. Beautiful condition, keeping in mind that this is vintage and not new so will have signs of use and wear even if it has been refinished or restored. Specifically, there is a stain on the seat vinyl that we have tried many things to remove to no avail. Please see photos, zoom in for details, and see long description as they are part of the condition report. We attempt to portray any imperfections. Circa, 1980’s but designed circa 1930’s. Did someone say Thonet?? Yes, we sure did!! This is a fabulous labeled Thonet cantilever barstool circa 1980’s. It is in the style of the model SS33 Bauhaus cantilever chair designed in the 1930’s for Thonet by famed designer Anton Lorenz. The chair design was later adapted to create this wonderful barstool! It is comprised of a chrome tube cantilever frame, black block stabilizers on the base, and white vinyl seats and back rests. A simple, stunning, and oh-so-comfortable design! It is the perfect stool for your kitchen, bar, or rec room whether you live in a Bauhaus or mid-century modern home, an industrial loft, or Art Deco style home. It’s a classic, sleek style that has stood the test of time!! If you’ve been searching for a barstool or just the right extra seating, this stool is exactly what you’ve been looking for! Thonet was founded by Michael Thonet. Michael was born in 1796 and was apprenticed by his father to a cabinetmaker. Shortly after he married, Michael opened his one-man cabinetmaking shop creating furniture and cabinetry in the traditional manner by carving the needed parts and then joining them together. In 1830 he began experimenting with bending wood into curved shapes and thus began a successful furniture company that has remained continually in operation for nearly 200 years. Thonet’s early work was very Biedermeier in style and not made for the common man. Gradually his designs became more Art Nouveau. In 1951 his chairs for the Crystal Palace at the London World’s Fair won a prize medal and by the late 1950s he began to make his first “consumer” chair. In 1875, a year before Michael’s death, Thonet’s five factories made 620,000 chairs. Then in 1876 after his death the company became Gebruder Thonet. But all was not roses. In 1869 the Thonet patents lapsed and by 1893 there were 52 bentwood companies in Europe. However, Thonet persevered. They branched out. They merged. They added designs by Le Corbusier and Breuer and alternative materials such as tubular chrome in place of bentwood to their offerings. Business boomed and waned through the years and there was even a Thonet revival, so to speak, beginning in the 1940s on into the mid-20th century. Till today, in the 21st century, Thonet is still a furniture company to be reckoned with almost 200 years later. Anton Lorenz was known as the man behind the Bauhaus’ “machined aesthetic.” He was born in Budapest in 1891, became a teacher, and later married an opera singer, and entered a lock manufacturing business. They relocated to Berlin in the early 1920’s. in Berlin he met architects Marcel Breuer and Kalman Lengyel who were both associated with Bauhaus in Dessau. Breuer became the first designer to construct furniture out of tubular steel, joined forces with Lengyel and found a manufacturing company and Anton Lorenz became manager. He was business savvy and obtained patents to establish a network of rights for new tubular steel furniture and would go on to do the same for Desta and Thonet who dominated the industry. In 1939 Lorenz emigrated to the United States where he established the design technology for the well-known recliner. He developed his own design in 1940 called the BarcaLounger and later partnered with Morris Futorian...
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20th Century American Bauhaus Thonet Chairs

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Set of 5 Josef Frank Prague Chairs Made in Czechoslovakia, circa 1970s
By Josef Frank, Thonet
Located in New York, NY
Exceptional set of five bentwood armchairs design attributed to Josef Frank, marked Made in Czechoslovakia. The chairs are constructed of steam bent wood, probably beech, and nylon, ...
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No.811 “Prague” Chairs by Josef Hoffman for Thonet
By Ligna, Josef Hoffmann
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1930s Chrome tubular steel Marcel Breuer B46 chair for Thonet/ eisengarn
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Set of Four Original Art Deco Chairs, Beech and Walnut, Thonet, Czechia, 1930s
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Office chair no.811 by Josef Hoffmann for Thonet
By Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
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Pair of Vintage Thonet Folding Chairs
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H 29.14 in W 20.87 in D 19.69 in
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Located in High Point, NC
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By Thonet
Located in Banská Štiavnica, SK
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Materials

Bentwood

Thonet Chairs No.4 for Children
Thonet Chairs No.4 for Children
H 21.66 in W 14.57 in D 22.45 in
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Thonet Bentwood Chairs, 1930s, Set of 2
H 30.52 in W 22.05 in D 21.26 in
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By Josef Frank, Thonet, Josef Hoffmann
Located in Uppsala, SE
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Leather, Cane, Birch

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Chrome

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Thonet chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Thonet chairs are available for sale on 1stDibs. These distinctive items are frequently made of wood and are designed with extraordinary care. There are many options to choose from in our collection of Thonet chairs, although brown editions of this piece are particularly popular. Many of the original chairs by Thonet were created in the mid-century modern style in europe during the 20th century. If you’re looking for additional options, many customers also consider chairs by Michael Thonet, Karl Fostel Sen’s Erben, and Anna-Lülja Praun. Prices for Thonet chairs can differ depending upon size, time period and other attributes — on 1stDibs, these items begin at $149 and can go as high as $24,318, while a piece like these, on average, fetch $1,765.
Questions About Thonet Chairs
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Thonet is a well known furniture company that was started by Michael Thonet in 1830 as he experimented with bentwood furniture. The brand is known for producing high-quality products with exquisite craftsmanship. Shop a collection of Thonet furniture from some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    A Thonet chair can be any chair developed by the furniture maker Thonet, which has been manufacturing furniture for more than 180 years. However, most people are referring to one designed by founder Gebrüder Thonet. It features a bentwood frame produced with a patent steam method that Thonet patented and a curved seat. Find a range of Thonet chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 3, 2023
    Perhaps the most significant thing about the Thonet chair was that it was the first chair to ever be shipped in parts with instructions that allowed the purchaser to assemble it themselves. As a result, the beech wood and rattan chairs could be mass produced and sold all over the world more easily. Shop a range of Thonet chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    An authentic Thonet chair will have the company’s name with a solid line underneath carved somewhere on the chair. The brand can also confirm the authenticity and age of a Thonet chair via its website. Shop a variety of authentic Thonet furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2023
    A Thonet-style chair is a wooden chair that has a curvy, bent backrest, a round seat and subtly flared legs. The chairs get their name from the original manufacturer, Thonet, which produced chairs in the mid-century modern style in Europe during the 20th century. Shop a range of Thonet furniture on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Michael Thonet is a German-Austrian furniture maker who designed the famed bentwood chair in 1830. His last name, Thonet, is pronounced “TOE-net,” but it’s commonly mispronounced “tho-NAY.” Shop a collection of vintage and modern Michael Thonet pieces on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertMarch 22, 2022
    Yes, Thonet chairs are marked. You will usually find the brand's label on a tag or burned into the wood under the seat. On 1stDibs, you can shop a variety of expertly vetted Thonet furniture from top sellers around the world.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    Whether or not Thonet chairs are stackable depends on their design. The bentwood chairs produced by the company do easily stack, but others like cantilever chairs do not. Find a range of Thonet chairs forms some of the world’s top sellers on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertApril 5, 2022
    To identify a Thonet rocking chair, look for the company name. You will normally find it stamped directly onto the underside of the seat, arms or legs. You can find a collection of expertly vetted Thonet rocking chairs on 1stDibs.
  • 1stDibs ExpertFebruary 13, 2024
    To tell if a Thonet chair is real, you can use Thonet's authenticity verification service. To take advantage of it, you will need to take many photographs of the chair from different angles and close-up images of markings and paper labels. You can learn more about the authentication process on the Thonet website. Shop a diverse assortment of Thonet chairs on 1stDibs.

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