Thonet Antique Bentwood Cradle, Early 1900s
About the Item
- Creator:Michael Thonet (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 78 in (198.12 cm)Width: 49 in (124.46 cm)Depth: 24.5 in (62.23 cm)Seat Height: 37 in (93.98 cm)
- Style:Art Nouveau (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1900
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:Cathedral City, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU825420339412
Michael Thonet
The development of bentwood for use in furniture is one of history’s most significant innovations in design. A range of renowned mid-century modern designers such as Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, and Charles and Ray Eames drew heavily on this technological advancement, and the success of their enduring works owes to the efforts of pioneering German-Austrian industrialist and designer Michael Thonet — founder of Thonet and widely considered the father of bentwood furniture.
Bentwood furniture dates as far back as the Middle Ages, but it is the 19th-century cabinetmaker and master of parquetry Michael 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. He experimented with bending birch rods into rounded shapes — forming delicately seductive, curving Art Nouveau creations that were a daring departure from the heavy, hand-carved designs attributed to his contemporaries.
The Boppard-born Thonet 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. He received an invitation from Austrian Chancellor Prince Metternich to contribute Neo-Rococo interiors to the Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna. From there, 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. 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 — or Gebrüder Thonet — with his sons in 1853.
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.
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. Composed of just six parts, the chair, with its simple, lightweight design, belies its durability. 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.)
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.
Thonet’s patented bentwood technology also yielded an improvement to rocking chairs for his company — 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. And bentwood furniture was embraced by a series of design greats — the innovation can be found in the seating that Josef Hoffman designed for Thonet, in the elegant Superleggera chair created by Gio Ponti and Alvar Aalto’s expressive Paimio armchair.
The No. 14 chair earned a gold medal at the 1867 Paris World’s Fair and reportedly sold 50 million copies prior to World War I. Today it’s a staple furnishing in countless movies, television shows, restaurants, bars and homes.
On 1stDibs, find an array of antique Michael Thonet seating, tables and more.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Cathedral City, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Early 1900s Humpty Dumpty Circus Clown Cast Iron Mechanical BankLocated in Cathedral City, CA1900S Hand painted Pierrot the cast iron mechanical penny bank clown. Very colorful mechanical bank known as the Humpty Dumpty Bank and shows a clow...Category
Antique Early 1900s American Rustic Toys and Dolls
MaterialsIron
- Early Curtis Jere Raindrop Wall SculptureBy Curtis JeréLocated in Cathedral City, CAOriginal Curtis Raindrop wall sculpture Bio: Curtis Jere is a compound nom de plume of artists Curtis Freiler and Jerry Fels. The two founders combined pieces of their own name...Category
Vintage 1970s American Mid-Century Modern Wall-mounted Sculptures
MaterialsMetal, Brass, Copper, Steel
- French Regence Secretaire, Early 20th Century French Regence StyleLocated in Cathedral City, CAAn early 20th century French Regence style two-part secretaire originally purchased in Paris, France. The secretary has a slant front desk section that ...Category
20th Century French Régence Secretaires
MaterialsBrass
- Vintage Antique Mirrored Jewelry BoxLocated in Cathedral City, CAFrench 1970s mirrored decorative box.Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Decorative Boxes
MaterialsChrome
- Antique Silver and Glass DecanterLocated in Cathedral City, CASilver and glass decanter with original patina.Category
20th Century French Art Deco Sterling Silver
MaterialsSterling Silver
- Antique Wooden Syrian Picture Frames or Mirror FramesLocated in Cathedral City, CAAntique wooden Syrian / Middle Eastern picture frames or mirror frame with turned Mashrabiya panels and with mother of pearl inlays. Dimension of each panel: W 8.75 inches, D 0.7...Category
Antique Early 1900s Syrian Moorish Picture Frames
MaterialsMother-of-Pearl, Wood
- Bentwood Thonet Cradle No.1By ThonetLocated in Banská Štiavnica, SKThis French bentwood cradle made by Thonet circa late 1900s. The cradle is in very good working order.Category
Antique Early 1900s Czech Vienna Secession Children's Furniture
MaterialsBentwood
- French Bentwood Cradle by ThonetBy ThonetLocated in Banská Štiavnica, SKRare and exceptionnal French Bentwood cradle from the Thonet manufacture made in 1900s. Gentle rocking action which can be blocked by a round handle at...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Children's Furniture
MaterialsBentwood
- Thonet Art Nouveau Austrian Cradle, 1900By ThonetLocated in Rome, ITCradle signed Thonet, all in bentwood has the ability to stop the rocking, and to remove the upper part. Very beautiful shape of the drop. A similar cradle is represented in the Muse...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Children's Furniture
MaterialsBentwood
- Art Nouveau French Bentwood Cradle in the Thonet StyleBy ThonetLocated in Savannah, GAThis very graceful French bentwood rocking cradle with canopy is from the Art Nouveau period (1890-1910) and is done in the style of the German-Austrian designer Michael Thonet who d...Category
Antique 1890s French Art Nouveau Children's Furniture
MaterialsBentwood
- Thonet Vienna Wooden Childrens Chair, Austria, 1900sBy Thonet, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in Vienna, ATA lovely wooden chair for children by Thonet Vienna, dated around 1900. In good, original condition with nice patina. Labelled and stamped.Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Rare French Bentwood Cradle in the Thonet Style Late 19th CenturyBy ThonetLocated in London, Park RoyalThis French bentwood cradle made in the Thonet style is a rare find, circa late 1900s. The cradle is in perfect working order with a gentle rocking act...Category
Antique 1890s French Art Nouveau Beds and Bed Frames
MaterialsBentwood