Are Thonet chairs marked?

Thonet chairs are marked with a label on the underside of the seat. Most of the chair seats are rush or canned and the bent wood supports the back and legs of the chair in gentle curved styles.

What era are bentwood chairs?

While bentwood furniture seems sleek and modern, its origins are decidedly 19th century. We offer a wide ranging collection of new and antique bentwood seating, dating from the 1870s to today.

What wood is used for bentwood chairs?

Different types of wood can be used for making Bentwood chairs. However, beech and ash are usually the best, as they are easy to bend and never crack like other types of harder wood. The harder wood tend to crack during the process of bending.

What are Thonet chairs?

A Bentwood chair is sometimes called a Thonet Chair in honor of its creator Michael Thonet. While bentwood chair were actually being made at least two centuries before Thonet was even born, he perfected the process which made the wood easier to bend and allows for mass production to begin.

How are bentwood rockers made?

bentwood furniture, type of furniture made by bending wooden rods into the required shape after they have been heated with steam. Although this method of bending wood was used by makers of the Windsor chair in the 18th century, it was not until the 1840s that its possibilities were exploited fully.

How old are bentwood rocking chairs?

The bentwood Thonet rocking chair was introduced in the mid-1800s in Austria by Michael Thonet and the Thonet Brothers Manufacturers. There were many variations on this chair design, but it was always made with steamed beech wood bent into a variety of swirls.

What year were bentwood chairs made?

All bentwood furniture, including Trent Furniture’s extensive range, derives from the first bentwood chair made by German-Austrian cabinet maker Michael Thonet in the 1850s in Vienna. The first of its kind was named the Model 14 and soon became known as the ‘chair of chairs’.

How is bentwood furniture made?

Bentwood objects are those made by wetting wood (either by soaking or by steaming), then bending it and letting it harden into curved shapes and patterns. In furniture making this method is often used in the production of rocking chairs, cafe chairs, and other light furniture.

What is bentwood furniture made from?

What was significant about the No 14 chair or Thonet chair?

The No. 14 chair is the most famous chair made by the Thonet chair company. Also known as the ‘bistro chair’, it was designed by Michael Thonet and introduced in 1859, becoming the world’s first mass-produced item of furniture. It is made using bent wood (steam-bending), and the design required years to perfect.

How can you tell if a bentwood rocking chair is real?

A sure way of identifying a real Thonet from around the turn of the 20th century is the presence of the company name (THONET) with a solid line underneath carved somewhere into the chair. This mark could be on the bottom of the curved arms or legs or under the seat .