Set of Six Bentwood Chairs
Late 19th Century, Vienna, Austria
Beech Wood / Rattan, Cane
89.5 x 46 x 59.5 cm (35 1/4 x 18 x 43 1/2 in)
The No. 14 is the most famous chair made by the Thonet company started by Michael Thonet (1796 – 1871), introduced in 1859, earned a gold medal in the 1867 World Exposition in Paris, sold 50 million units from its introduction in 1859 to 1930 and millions more ever since, and now widely regarded as a design classic.
Made by steaming beech wood to the desired shape and a wooden seat, the original version had 6 pieces; the improved version had caned seat and consisted of 8 pieces after two diagonal braces were added between the caned seat and back to strengthen this stress point.
Thonet’s innovative concept of disassembling and assembling again, only with screws and nuts, to anywhere in Europe, America and Asia where they were exported, was a similar idea to flat pack IKEA furniture albeit Thonet pioneered it a hundred years earlier.
This set, probably from the workshop of Thonet, was revarnished 20 years ago and in good condition.
Provenance:
The Heirs of the Cordero family of Pagsanjan, Laguna
Estimate: PHP 60,000 – 70,000
Lot 86 of the Salcedo Auctions auction on 2 June 2018. See salcedoauctions.com/ for more details.
