Art Deco Vintage Bentwood Beech Valet Coat Rack by Thonet, Vienna, 1920s
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 42.52 in (108 cm)Width: 17.72 in (45 cm)Depth: 12.41 in (31.5 cm)
- Style:Art Deco (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1920s
- Condition:Wear consistent with age and use.
- Seller Location:Vienna, AT
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1069823730662
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: Vienna, Austria
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Art Deco Vintage Brown Beech Gebr, Thonet Valet Coat Rack 1920s ViennaBy ThonetLocated in Vienna, ATArt Deco vintage valet or coat rack by Gebrüder Thonet from beech bentwood in brown stained color, 1920s, Vienna. Wonderful and usable valet from the Viennese Art Deco period. Very...Category
Vintage 1920s Austrian Art Deco Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBeech
- Art Deco Beech Brown Vintage Valet or Coat Rack by Thonet Austria, circa 1920By ThonetLocated in Vienna, ATThe elegant vintage beech valet or coat rack shows all features, what you are looking for. Two racks and one reling for your clothes and a parking space with wooden slats for your s...Category
Vintage 1920s Austrian Art Deco Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBeech
- Art Deco Vintage Chromed Coat Rack, 1920sLocated in Vienna, ATWonderful chromed tube steel wardrobe features six coat hooks, one mirror, two umbrella stands and a parcel shelf. Removable drip tray of the umbrella stand It is easy to fix the coa...Category
Vintage 1920s Art Deco Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsMetal
- Modern Vintage Brass Beech Coat Rack Valet Union Regent, 1970s, GermanyLocated in Vienna, ATModern vintage coat rack or valet from stained beech and brass Union Regent 1970s Germany. A wonderful coat rack or valet Union Regent made from brown stained beech and brass detail...Category
Vintage 1970s German Modern Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Hollywood Regency Style Vintage Brass Beech Valet Coat Rack 1970s ItalyLocated in Vienna, ATHollywood Regency style vintage three legged valet or coat rack from brass and beech 1970s Italy. An amazing valet or coat rack from brass and beech with beautiful details. This thre...Category
Late 20th Century Italian Hollywood Regency Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass
- Bauhaus Brown Vintage Tube Steel Beech Valet Coat Rack, circa 1930, GermanyLocated in Vienna, ATBauhaus vintage valet or coat rack from lacquered tube steel and beech in brown color circa 1930 Germany. A sleek and uncluttered valet or coat rack from lacquered metal and beech designed and made circa 1930 Germany. Throughout its plain look and feel the valet is very similar to Bauhaus. The valet, perfect for your anteroom or your checkroom, could be your stylish way to hang up your clothes. The valet or coat rack would compliment various locations as Contemporary, Postmodern, Mid Century Modern or Traditional entryway, anteroom or bedroom. The tube steel frame is in very good condition with minor signs of age and use, while the brown beech wood hook...Category
Mid-20th Century German Bauhaus Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsMetal
- Art Deco Stained Beech Bentwood Valet Stand or Rack by Thonet Vienna, 1920sBy Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in Amsterdam, NLElegant and sleek Art Deco valet stand or coat rack. Design and executed by Thonet Vienna. Striking Austrian design from the 1920s. Bentwood be...Category
Vintage 1920s Austrian Art Deco Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Original 1910s Art Nouveau Bentwood Wall Coat Rack by Thonet Vienna, ExcellentBy ThonetLocated in Vigonza, PaduaElegant original early 20th century Art Nouveau bentwood wall coat rack by Thonet Vienna, in walnut, polished to wax. Excellent conditions. Extremely rare unique piece. Measures ...Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsWalnut
- Art Nouveau 1920s, Italy Coat and Hat Rack Thonet Manner Bent Beech LacqueredBy ThonetLocated in Vigonza, PaduaArt Nouveau, Italian original 1920s coat and hat rack Thonet style in bent beech lacquered Measures cm: H 190, diameter 50.Category
Vintage 1920s Italian Art Nouveau Hat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBeech
- Beech Standing coat rack Thonet 1960sBy ThonetLocated in Den Haag, NLVery nice standing coat rack and umbrella stand .Solid Beechwood . Steam bended . Very good condition, comes in four parts, easy to send . Please...Category
Vintage 1960s Romanian Art Nouveau Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBeech
- Art Nouveau Bentwood Wall Coat Rack Thonet Vienna, 1879-1887By Gebrüder Thonet Vienna GmbHLocated in Verviers, BEArt Nouveau bentwood wall coat rack attributed to Thonet, Vienna, Viennese wall hanger Thonet was included in the production program of the...Category
Antique 1880s Austrian Art Nouveau Coat Racks and Stands
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Big Art deco Magazine Rack vienna around 1920sLocated in Wien, ATBig Art deco Magazine Rack vienna around 1920s Brass polished and stove enameled Wood polishedCategory
Vintage 1920s Austrian Art Deco Magazine Racks and Stands
MaterialsBrass