Chair thumbnail 1
Not currently on display at the V&A

Chair

1836-1840 (made)
Artist/Maker
Thonet (manufacturer)
Place of origin
Austria (made)

This description has been transcribed from the original register of 1969:
Bentwood chair with cane seat. The front legs curve outward, plain capitals and mouldings. They are held to a roughly circular seat rail by a block screwed at the back. The back legs attached to the outside of the seat rail by heavy screws through from the inside rise to curve round as the back. The legs are connected by a band of bentwood below the seat rail. The back is filled by an elaborate S of bentwood flanked by a reversed S. These are screwed to the curved back. The seat is caned.


Object details

Category
Furniture
Object type
Chair
Materials and techniques
Bentwood
Cane
Brief description
Bentwood chair with cane seat; designed by Thonet, Austrian, 1836-1840
Physical description
This description has been transcribed from the original register of 1969:
Bentwood chair with cane seat. The front legs curve outward, plain capitals and mouldings. They are held to a roughly circular seat rail by a block screwed at the back. The back legs attached to the outside of the seat rail by heavy screws through from the inside rise to curve round as the back. The legs are connected by a band of bentwood below the seat rail. The back is filled by an elaborate S of bentwood flanked by a reversed S. These are screwed to the curved back. The seat is caned.
Dimensions
  • Height: 94cm
  • Depth: 41cm
  • Width: 48.5cm
  • Seat height: 46.2cm
JS 25.05.2010
Gallery label
  • Europe and America 1800-1900, room 101 BENTWOOD CHAIR About 1866 In 1857 Thonet received a commission to design and make chairs for Café Daum, a popular coffee shop in Vienna. This strong lightweight chair, 'model number 4', became tremendously successful and sold very widely. It used solid wood for the frame, bent using steam and moulds. This example was made almost ten years after the original commission. Austria, Vienna; designed by Michael Thonet; manufactured by Gebrüder Thonet Beech, steam-bent, with cane seat(05/08/2015)
  • Europe and America 1800-1900, room 101 BENTWOOD CHAIR About 1866 Austria, Vienna; designed by Michael Thonet; manufactured by Gebrüder Thonet Beech, steam-bent, with cane seat Museum no. W.6-1969 In 1857 Thonet received a commission to design and make chairs for Café Daum, a popular coffee shop in Vienna. This strong lightweight chair, 'model number 4', became tremendously successful and sold very widely. It used solid wood for the frame, bent using steam and moulds. This example was made almost ten years after the original commission.(2006)
Collection
Furniture and Woodwork Collection
Accession number
W.6-1969

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Record createdJanuary 2, 2007
Record URL
https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O130617/chair-thonet/
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