Rocking Chair In Bentwood with Curved Armrests by Michael Thonet, Vienna, 1900
View Similar Items
Rocking Chair In Bentwood with Curved Armrests by Michael Thonet, Vienna, 1900
About the Item
- Creator:Michael Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 41.34 in (105 cm)Width: 20.48 in (52 cm)Depth: 43.31 in (110 cm)Seat Height: 16.54 in (42 cm)
- Style:Vienna Secession (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1900
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Basel, CH
- Reference Number:Seller: Aa02131stDibs: LU6543232544452
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.
- Gustav Siegel Attributed, Made by Thonet, a Bentwood & Cane Rocking ChairBy Gustav Siegel, ThonetLocated in London, GBGustav Siegel attributed, made by Thonet. A bentwood and cane rocking chair.Category
Antique Early 1900s European Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Thonet Rocking Chair, Model Number 71, Vienna, 1910, Signed Thonet BellowBy Michael ThonetLocated in Buenos Aires, Buenos AiresThonet rocking chair, model number 71. Vienna, 1910. Signed Thonet Bellow.Category
Vintage 1910s Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood, Rattan
- Gustav Siegel, by J & J Kohn, Tall Stylish Secessionist Bentwood Rocking ChairBy J.&J. Khon 1, Gustav SiegelLocated in London, GBGustav Siegel. A tall high back stylish Viennese Secessionist ebonised bentwood rocking chair. Model# 824, manufactured by Jacob & Josef Kohn, Austria 1905. Illustrated in Jacob ...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Vienna Secession Rocking Chairs
MaterialsBentwood
- Vintage Bentwood Rocking Chair after Michael ThonetBy ThonetLocated in Trenton, NJThis Vintage Cane Seat Rocking Chair with Bentwood frame is inspired by the timeless elegance of early Thonet furniture. Crafted with m...Category
Late 20th Century Unknown Mid-Century Modern Rocking Chairs
MaterialsCane, Wood
- No*10 Rocking Chair, Michael ThonetBy Michael ThonetLocated in London, GBA vintage No.10 bentwood and cane rocking chair in black lacquer by Thonet, Austria. The Model No.10 rocking Chair was designed by Michael Thonet circa 1860 - 1890, this example dates from circa 1900. The chair features a generously sized newly hand-woven cane seat and high back. The use of cane provides comfort for the sitter and gives the piece a visual lightness. Moreover, the high contrast between the black lustre...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Arts and Crafts Rocking Chairs
MaterialsCane, Beech
- 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