Pair of Thonet Lounge Chairs
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 32.25 in (81.92 cm)Width: 24.75 in (62.87 cm)Depth: 30 in (76.2 cm)Seat Height: 17 in (43.18 cm)
- Sold As:Set of 2
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1960s
- Condition:Replacements made: The cambric fabric on the underside of the seats is new. Wear consistent with age and use. Sturdy and structurally excellent with no loose joints. The original vinyl upholstery is in good, clean condition with some small areas of wear as pictured. The original wood finish shows wear as pictured, including scuffs, scratches, and nicks.
- Seller Location:Brooklyn, NY
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU949538632142
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: Brooklyn, NY
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Pace Collection Lounge Chair by Richard HersbergerBy Richard Hersberger, Pace CollectionLocated in Brooklyn, NYFor your consideration is this leather and steel lounge chair designed by Richard Hersberger for Pace Collection, dating from th...Category
Vintage 1970s American Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsStainless Steel
- KEM Weber Machine Age Chrome Springer Lounge ChairBy Kem WeberLocated in Brooklyn, NYFor your consideration is this exceptional all-original example of KEM Weber’s iconic springer chair featuring its rarely seen original black rubber floor protector feet and ivory vi...Category
Vintage 1930s American Machine Age Lounge Chairs
MaterialsChrome
- Pair of Poul Kjærholm PK-71 Cube Nesting TablesBy Poul KjærholmLocated in Brooklyn, NYFor your consideration is this pair of Poul Kjærholm PK-71 Cube Nesting Tables dating from the 1960s. They feature elegantly slim metal frames with the original inset white acrylic t...Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Nesting Tables and Stacking Tables
MaterialsMetal
- Early Production Saarinen Tulip Dining ChairsBy Eero Saarinen, KnollLocated in Brooklyn, NYFor your consideration is this authentic, very early production set of Eero Saarinen for Knoll Tulip Chairs, signed and dated 1960. The chairs feature upholstered blue wool blend sea...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsAluminum
- American Modern Windsor Chairs by Heywood WakefieldBy Heywood-Wakefield Co.Located in Brooklyn, NYFor your consideration is this pair of Heywood Wakefield Windsor chairs featuring solid wood construction, original finish with lovely...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Windsor Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Wood
- Herman DeVries for Cushman No. 5-82 Easy ChairsBy Herman de Vries, H.T. Cushman Manufacturing CompanyLocated in Brooklyn, NYFor your consideration is this pair of No. 5-82 "Searsburg" easy chairs designed in the 1930s by Herman de Vries as part of Cushman Furniture's Colonial Creations Collection. They ar...Category
Vintage 1930s American American Colonial Armchairs
MaterialsWood, Maple
- Pair of Retro Thonet Lounge ChairsBy ThonetLocated in Bronx, NYThe pair has the original vinyl, and the original finish. Sold as a pair only.Price is for the pair.Category
Vintage 1950s European Lounge Chairs
MaterialsWood, PVC
- Pair Vintage Leather Lounge Chairs by ThonetBy Thonet, Pierre PaulinLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis beautiful pair of chrome base leather lounge chairs by Thonet offer exquisite Mid-Century style suitable for almost any seating situation. Sturdy stretchers and vintage leather ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsChrome
- Pair of Streamline Lounge Chairs and Sofa by ThonetBy ThonetLocated in Pompano Beach, FLPair of streamline lounge chairs and streamline sofa by Thonet in sage cotton velvet and maple stained legs. Dimensions for chairs: 33 H x...Category
Vintage 1950s American Art Deco Living Room Sets
MaterialsCotton, Velvet
- Pair of Classic Mid-Century Modern Bentwood Lounge Chairs by ThonetBy Thonet, T.H. Robsjohn-GibbingsLocated in Buffalo, NYPair of Classic Mid-Century Modern bentwood lounge chairs by Thonet, stunning lines, extremely comfortable, rare high back version, retain original finish, well worn finish, leaving ...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsBentwood, Naugahyde
- Pair of Lounge Chairs, Black Leather Chrome, Attributed to Thonet, 1970By ThonetLocated in Hausmannstätten, ATA set of two leather and chrome or nickel lounge chairs attributed to Thonet, Austria, circa 1970 (late 1960s or early 1970s). They are made of a high quality and thick black leather...Category
Vintage 1970s Austrian Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Chrome
- Pair of Mid-Century Modern Thonet Bentwood Birch Lounge Arm ChairsBy ThonetLocated in BROOKLYN, NYPair of Mid-Century Modern Thonet bentwood birch lounge arm chairs. Has original medium pastel pinkish vinyl upholstery. Great vintage condition. Timeless chair design by Thonet. Cur...Category
Vintage 1950s American Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsUpholstery, Birch, Bentwood