4 Mid Century Rocking Chairs by Thonet
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.5 in (74.93 cm)Width: 22 in (55.88 cm)Depth: 27.5 in (69.85 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950s-1960s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Original, clean condition, vinyl seat on turquoise chair has minor cosmetic wear ( spots ) and green chairs show inconsequential wear to vinyl - please see images.
- Seller Location:New York, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU978719196002
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: Cohoes, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 1 day of delivery.
- Vintage Bentwood Rocking Chair Att. to ThonetBy ThonetLocated in New York, NYUnusual bentwood and cane rocking chair, in the Vienna Secessionist style, probably mid 20th C vintage, Thonet - made in USA, unsigned. The chair is slightly smaller in scale, a vari...Category
Mid-20th Century American Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Child’s Thonet Rocking ChairBy ThonetLocated in New York, NYStylish child’s bentwood rocking chair attached to Thonet. This example is in very good original condition showing only light wear normal and consistent with age. Measures: Total H ...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Large Bamboo Rocking Chair after AlbiniBy Franco Albini, ThonetLocated in New York, NYIncredible stylish over scale midcentury continuous arm rocking chair, after Thonet and Albini. Bent bamboo frame, with original cane and wicker seat and back. This example is in ver...Category
Mid-20th Century Korean Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBamboo, Cane
- Mid Century Garden Patio Wrought Iron Rocking Chair Att. to SalteriniBy Woodard Furniture Co., SalteriniLocated in New York, NYStylish architectural mid century wrought iron and metal mesh rocking chair attributed to Salterini. Good, clean, original, ready to use condition, showing only light cosmetic wear, ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Patio and Garden Furniture
MaterialsWrought Iron
- 3 Pc. Suite Safari Chairs and Ottoman by Gold Metal Furniture Racine, WisconsinLocated in New York, NYChic voguish set of Safari style chairs (2) and ottoman (1) manufactured by the Gold Metal Furniture Company Racine, WI. circa 1960's. Rare and unus...Category
Mid-20th Century American Campaign Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Pr. Wicker Rocking Chairs by Francis Mair c 1950/1960'sBy Francis MairLocated in New York, NYChic pair of wicker rocking chairs designed by Francis Mair, circa 1950/1960's. These sophisticated chairs are both stylish, and extremely comfortable. Both are structurally sound ...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsIron
- Mid-Century Modern Thonet Style Chrome Frame Rocking ChairBy ThonetLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis sleek modern rocking chair features a tufted vinyl seat with stylish chrome frame. Mounted wooden rockers ensure a fluid rocking motion, while padde...Category
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsChrome, Metal, Steel
- Vintage Thonet Style Large Bamboo Bentwood Cane Rattan Rocking Arm ChairBy ThonetLocated in Dayton, OHA large Iconic bentwood rocking chair, attributed to Thonet. Made from bamboo in with caned back and seat. Measures: 22" x 42" x 42" / Seat Height - 20" at front before sitting, 1...Category
Mid-20th Century Victorian Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBamboo, Cane, Bentwood
- Mid Century Elegant Rocking Chair in the Thonet StyleBy ThonetLocated in Miami, FLIn the style of the French designer Thonet . Elegant design Rocking Chair Mid Century Modern .Category
20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsWood
- Mid-Century Modern Rocking ChairLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis impressive vintage modern rocking chair features a sturdy walnut construction, sleekly sculpted armrests, and a tall backrest ensurin...Category
Vintage 1960s Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Mid-Century Modern Rocking ChairLocated in Brooklyn, NYLovely Mid-Century Modern rocking chair features a vintage walnut finish and sculpted arm rests. Sleek design with a smooth rocking motion. The unique high spindle backrest, vintage ...Category
Vintage 1970s Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Walnut
- Mid-Century Walnut Brazilian Rocking ChairLocated in London, GBMid-century Brazilian rocking chair, circa 1950s, in walnut wood, exotic wood and leather. Dimensions: H101 x W71 x D84 cm.Category
20th Century Brazilian Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsWalnut