Dagoberts Armchair by Thonet, since 1888
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 42.92 in (109 cm)Width: 24.02 in (61 cm)Depth: 24.41 in (62 cm)Seat Height: 18.51 in (47 cm)
- Style:Belle Époque (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1888
- Condition:Reupholstered. Wear consistent with age and use.
- 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.
- Easy armchair Thonet Nr.401, since 1901By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZVery rare model. Nice condition with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished with weak solution of shelack finish.Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Armchair Thonet Nr.23By ThonetLocated in Praha, CZOriginal state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack finish.Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Unique Armchair Thonet B 1045, since 1938By ThonetLocated in Praha, CZIt is unique, the only known piece, made to order for a special customer. This unique armchair has never been shown in a regular sales catalog. Documents about the armchair were kept only in the in-house archive of the Thonet company. Thonet B...Category
Early 20th Century Czech Bauhaus Club Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Folding Chair Thonet Nr.1 with Arms and Legrest, since 1883By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in Praha, CZManufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. Original state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack. New cannung.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Chair Thonet Nr.223, since 1901By ThonetLocated in Praha, CZOriginal state. Perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack finish. New upholstery surface on the original core.Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Wall Hanger Thonet Nr.1, since 1880By ThonetLocated in Praha, CZOriginal state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack finish.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBentwood
- Thonet ArmchairBy ThonetLocated in Los Angeles, CAThonet ArmchairCategory
Antique 19th Century French Armchairs
MaterialsWalnut
- Thonet Armchairs by Otto WagnerBy Thonet, Otto WagnerLocated in Vienna, ATDesign attributed to Otto Wagner. Wood finish and upholstery according to customer requirements. Price for already restored ones. Up to eight pieces available, more on request. Deli...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Armchairs
MaterialsLeather, Beech, Bentwood
- Thonet Bentwood ArmchairsBy ThonetLocated in Brooklyn, NYPair of mid-century modern lounge chairs with sculpted flat bentwood arms. Single "floating" seat and back with tufted buttons. Please confirm location NY or NJ.Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Bentwood Armchair by Thonet, Czechoslovakia, 1940sBy ThonetLocated in Zohor, SKThis is an amazing armchair. Fully restored into a beautiful, trendy look. The armchair was produced in 1940s by Thonet company, original label still attached. The armchair was in a ...Category
Vintage 1940s Czech Bauhaus Armchairs
MaterialsFabric, Bentwood
- No 12 Thonet Caned Bistro Armchair, 1881-1919By ThonetLocated in Los Angeles, CARare and antique Thonet armchair with cane seating and bentwood armrests. This chair is at least 104 years old and was made between 1891 and 1919. It is in original condition with so...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Thonet Style Italian ArmchairsBy ThonetLocated in Brooklyn, NYPair of petite chairs with exaggerated sculpted arms and vinyl cushioned seats. Brass nail head beading around the back and legs add to the detai...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsFaux Leather