Low bentwood stool with cane seat by Thonet, Austria 1920s
About the Item
- Creator:Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)Diameter: 13.78 in (35 cm)Seat Height: 17.72 in (45 cm)
- Style:Vienna Secession (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1950-1960
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use. Minor fading.
- Seller Location:ECHT, NL
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU9426237172642
Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH
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 antique Gebrüder Thonet furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: ECHT, Netherlands
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 14 days of delivery.
- Set of two hand carved brutalist stools, Netherlands 1950sLocated in ECHT, NLHandmade set of two brutalist stools. Hand carved from solid wood. The seats have serrated edges resembling industrial cogs. They differ slightly in size accentuating the handmade ch...Category
Mid-20th Century Dutch Brutalist Stools
MaterialsWood
- Antique iron wall lamp with bells, 1920sLocated in ECHT, NLUnique hammered iron wall lamp with bells. Intended for mounting above a door and fulfilling two functions. Illuminating the doorway and as a doorbell. The door would hit the bells a...Category
Early 20th Century Indonesian Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsIron
- 16 piece miniature modernist furniture set, Netherlands 1920sBy Le Corbusier, Pierre Jeanneret, Charlotte Perriand CassinaLocated in ECHT, NLSet of 16 highly original miniature furniture. It consist of a dining table with 4 chairs, 2 beds with night stands and an occasional chair an a l...Category
Early 20th Century Dutch Modern Toys
MaterialsWood, Paint
- Ice glass "Herrenberg" wall lamp by Kalmar, Austria 1970sBy J.T. Kalmar, Kalmar LightingLocated in ECHT, NLDispersion glass wall lamp. Made by Kalmar Austria in the 1970s. This is model "Herrenberg" mentioned in the 1972 catalogue. It has three E14 plugs. Suitable for both European and US...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Brutalist Wall Lights and Sconces
MaterialsMetal
- Illuminated floral mirror by Emil Stejnar for Rupert Nikoll, Austria 1950sBy Emil StejnarLocated in ECHT, NLBack lit wall mirror. Designed by Emil Stejnar and produced by Rupert Nikoll, Austria in the 1950s. The mirror has an edge made from numerous glass flowers that reflect en disperse t...Category
Mid-20th Century Austrian Mid-Century Modern Wall Mirrors
MaterialsMetal
- Antique plate with peacock pattern by Friedrich Festersen, Germany 1900sLocated in ECHT, NLVery rare decorative plate. Made by Freidrich Festeresen between 1909 and 1916. It has a peacock pattern which appears to have flowed out to much on on...Category
Early 20th Century German Art Nouveau Ceramics
MaterialsCeramic
- 1910s Vienna Weave Piano Stool Bentwood Thonet Design, Adjustable, by FischelBy Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbH, D. G. FischellLocated in Andernach, DEImpressive original 1900s to 1910s piano stool by D. G. Fischel, Austria. The original design had been made by Thonet. Dark Brown Bentwood with even darker varnish in a mahogany vibe...Category
Mid-20th Century Italian Vienna Secession Stools
MaterialsIron
- Vintage Mid Century Modern Thonet Bentwood Cane Seat Round Stool (B)Located in Philadelphia, PAVintage Mid Century Modern Thonet Bentwood Cane Seat Round Stool (B). Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 15" H x 15" W x 15" D *Listing is for 1...Category
Mid-20th Century Mid-Century Modern Stools
MaterialsCane, Bentwood
- Bentwood Billiard Stool Attributed to ThonetBy ThonetLocated in New York, NYHard to find form, early bentwood billiard stool attributed to Thonet. Some minor wear, normal and consistent with age. Stylish early modern design fro...Category
20th Century Austrian Vienna Secession Stools
- Thonet Style Revolving Stool with Cane SeatBy ThonetLocated in Barcelona, ESRevolving stool in bentwood with cane seat. In the style of Thonet. Austria, 1930s. Nicely constructed. Height adjustable. The wood structure is strong...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Arts and Crafts Stools
MaterialsCane, Wood, Bentwood, Wicker
- Pair of Bentwood Stools by Otto Wagner for ThonetBy Otto WagnerLocated in Atlanta, GAPair of bentwood stools by Otto Wagner for Thonet, Austria, these examples, circa 1940s. Signed with impressed Thonet stamp underneath. These st...Category
Vintage 1940s Austrian Vienna Secession Stools
MaterialsMetal
- Antique Bentwood Piano Stool by Thonet, Austria in 1900sBy ThonetLocated in Beograd, RSIn this listing you will find an antique piano stool manufactured by Thonet. The stool is done in beech bentwood, with the plywood seat. It was recently refinished. The swivel mechan...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Stools
MaterialsBeech