Thonet Table Nr.1 with Waxed Cloth Covered, circa 1900
View Similar Items
Thonet Table Nr.1 with Waxed Cloth Covered, circa 1900
About the Item
- Creator:Michael Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 29.53 in (75 cm)Diameter: 17.33 in (44 cm)
- Style:Art Nouveau (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1900
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Praha, CZ
- Reference Number:Seller: Thonetky1stDibs: LU2456325677362
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.
- Thonet table Nr.221By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZSolid and compact. In original condition with a beautiful patina of age. Perfectly cleaned and polished with shellac.Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Serving Tables
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Chair Thonet Nr.4, circa 1860By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZA rare early model of famous chair "Nr.14", manufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. New shelack finish. Marked with early paper label, which is used, circa 1860. Comp...Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
$2,462 Sale Price20% Off - Chair Thonet Nr.4, circa 1860By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZVery rare chair, the oldest industrially produced version of chair no. 4. Newly restored.Category
Antique Mid-19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
$1,759 Sale Price / item20% Off - Thonet Armchair Nr.8, circa 1870By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZVery old armchair from the beginnings of the production of bentwood furniture. These were always very subtle and simple. The bayonet fastening of the armrests to the backrest also in...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Armchair Thonet Nr.12, circa 1870By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZManufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. Newly restored, new backrest string, new shellack polish.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
$1,847 Sale Price30% Off - Chair Thonet Nr.20, circa 1880By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZManufactured in Austria by the Gebrüder Thonet company. Newly restored. New cannung in seat.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Thonet Bentwood Cafe Table, circa 1900By ThonetLocated in Sharon, CTAn Austrian bentwood table designed and manufactured by Thonet, circa 1900. Black legs with a natural surface to the tabletop. Measures: Height...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsBentwood
- 20th Century Italian Modern Brass Side, Serving Table - Vintage Tea Glass TableLocated in West Palm Beach, FLA vintage Mid-Century Modern Italian side, sofa table made of hand crafted brass, in good condition. The serving, tea table is composed with two tier glass tops, supported by four ro...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Mid-Century Modern Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsMetal, Brass
- Bronze Mounted Circular Low Table, by Jules LeleuBy Jules LeleuLocated in West Palm Beach, FLBronze mounted circular low table, by Jules Leleu. Rosewood inlaid top having floral and butterfly inlays in a variety of woods and abalone, circa 1925. Measures: Height 17 5/8 in....Category
Vintage 1920s Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsWood
- Antique 3 Tier Regency Mahogany Dumbwaiter Accent Butler Display TableLocated in Dayton, OHAntique Regency style dumbwaiter table. Made from mahogany with three tiers, a pedestal base with three legs, and wave crest serpentine design gallery. Measures: 46”. Provenance: ...Category
Early 20th Century Regency Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsMahogany
- Louis XV Style Kingwood and Gilt Bronze Two-Tier Tea TableLocated in Montreal, QCLouis XV style kingwood trellis parquetry two-tier tea table with twin handled rectangular trays, the serpentine borders banded in gilt bronze over ta...Category
Antique 19th Century French Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsOrmolu
- English Queen Anne Mahogany Serpentine One Drawer Tea Table Orig. Brasses C 1740Located in Hollywood, SCEnglish Queen Anne mahogany one drawer tea table with a one board serpentine edge top, original brasses, trumpet knees, and resting on cabriole legs with pad feet. Secondary wood is ...Category
Antique 1740s English Queen Anne Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsBrass