1970s, Beech Rocking Chair by Ton, Czechoslovakia
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Maker)
- Dimensions:Height: 34.65 in (88 cm)Width: 22.05 in (56 cm)Depth: 40.56 in (103 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1970
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Praha, CZ
- Reference Number:
Thonet
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.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Litoměřice, Czech Republic
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- 1960s Varjosen Puunjalostus Beech Rocking Chair, FinlandBy Varjosen PuunjalostusLocated in Praha, CZ- sturdy and stable - minor signs of use - height of seat 47 cm.Category
Vintage 1960s Finnish Mid-Century Modern Children's Furniture
MaterialsBeech
- Restored Rocking Chair By Ton, Czechoslovakia 1960sLocated in Praha, CZ- newly upholstered - carefully refurbishedCategory
Vintage 1960s Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Wood
- 1970s Beech Bentwood Chair by Ton, CzechoslovakiaBy ThonetLocated in Praha, CZ- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered - The height of armrests is 70cm - high of seat 46 cmCategory
Vintage 1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood, Fabric
- 1970s Beech Bentwood Chair by Ton, CzechoslovakiaBy ThonetLocated in Praha, CZ- Carefully refurbished - Newly upholstered - The height of armrests is 70cmCategory
Vintage 1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Chairs
MaterialsWood, Bentwood, Beech
- Mid-Century Rocking Chair, by TON, 1970'sLocated in Praha, CZMade in Czechoslovakia Made of fabric, wood Upholstery has signs of use Original condition.Category
Vintage 1970s Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsWood, Fabric
- Vintage Rocking Chair, Czechoslovakia, 1970'sLocated in Praha, CZComfortable, rarely seen, vintage rocking chair after complete renovation. The new upholstery is made of goatskin.Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Wood
- Midcentury French Riviera Rattan and Bamboo Italian Rocking Chair, 1970sLocated in Roma, ITElegant midcentury French Riviera rocking chair with rattan and bamboo footstool. This fantastic piece was designed and manufactured in Italy in the 1970s. This chair is unique be...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBamboo, Rattan
- Mid Century Bentwood Rocking Chair by Ton, Czechoslovakia, 1960'sBy ThonetLocated in Prague 8, CZThis upholstered bentwood rocking chair was made by TON company in Czechoslovakia in the former Czechoslovakia in the 1960’s. In good preserved Vintage condition, the upholstery show...Category
Mid-20th Century Czech Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Bentwood
- Mid-Century French Riviera Curved Rattan and Bamboo Italian Rocking Chair, 1970sLocated in Roma, ITElegant mid-century French Riviera rocking chair in rattan and bamboo. This fantastic piece was designed and manufactured in Italy during the 1970s. This chair is unique because i...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBamboo, Rattan
- 20th Century White Patina Bentwood Rocking Chair Thonet StyleBy ThonetLocated in Miami, FL20th century white patina bentwood rocking chair Thonet style.Category
20th Century Spanish Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Basket Weave Country Childs Rocking ChairLocated in Denton, TXBasket weave Country childs rocking chair.Category
Early 20th Century Unknown Country Children's Furniture
MaterialsWood
- Pair of Antique Children's Rocking ChairsLocated in West Palm Beach, FLVery sweet pair of white wrought iron children's rocking chairs. Newly sandblasted and powder coated finish.Category
Antique Late 19th Century American Rocking Chairs
MaterialsIron