Settee
ca. 1905 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
This settee illustrates the adaptation of traditional bentwood chair models to contemporary Viennese taste. It was produced by the Gebrüder Thonet manufactory. While still using the caned seat of earlier designs, the apparently simple structure of the settee and its corresponding chair (W.42-1979) is more sophisticated than that of most earlier bentwood chair models. The geometry of this design and the cut-out motifs used on the backrail were equally novel.
Unfortunately, the designer is not known; the settee may have been a product of the Thonet design studio. Both settee and chair remained in production from at least 1905 to 1911.
Unfortunately, the designer is not known; the settee may have been a product of the Thonet design studio. Both settee and chair remained in production from at least 1905 to 1911.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Steam-bent beech, stained, with a caned seat |
| Brief description | Settee of steam-bent beechwood, stained, with a caned seat, made by the Gebrüder Thonet, Vienna, ca 1905. |
| Physical description | Sofa, of beech, bent and stained. The front and back legs are bent from one continuous length of wood, forming the arm supports,. The rounded back is formed of one continuous bent length of wood also, joined by to the front legs toward the bottom and acting as a diagonal stretcher and joined by an additional short, curved length of wood to the back legs. The back rail is a deep rail of square outline with two groups of five circular cut-outs arranged geometrically. This is joined to a lower rail of square section by two sets of five square bars. Seat of woven cane. |
| Dimensions |
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| Styles | |
| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Historical context | This model and the armchair en suite, W.42-1979, remained in production from at least 1905 to 1911. Their designer is not known: they may be products of the Thonet design studio. |
| Summary | This settee illustrates the adaptation of traditional bentwood chair models to contemporary Viennese taste. It was produced by the Gebrüder Thonet manufactory. While still using the caned seat of earlier designs, the apparently simple structure of the settee and its corresponding chair (W.42-1979) is more sophisticated than that of most earlier bentwood chair models. The geometry of this design and the cut-out motifs used on the backrail were equally novel. Unfortunately, the designer is not known; the settee may have been a product of the Thonet design studio. Both settee and chair remained in production from at least 1905 to 1911. |
| Associated object | W.42-1979 (Object) |
| Bibliographic references |
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| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.41-1979 |
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| Record created | June 5, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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