Antique armchairs in Thonet style bentwood – Central Europe, circa 1930 - Set of 2 chairs #3
€390Bid from €351
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Gelida (Barcelona), SpainOn Whoppah since July 2026 • 0 sales
Product description
A set of two antique armchairs in bentwood, with a horseshoe back wrapping into the arms, over vertical splats and a moulded board seat. Originates from Central Europe, where beech was steam-bent in iron moulds and assembled with through screws.
The steam-bent beech chair was born in Vienna in the middle of the nineteenth century and became the most widespread seat in Europe: light, strong, knock-down and cheap to ship. Its presence in cafés, dining rooms and waiting rooms made it so common that it went almost unnoticed. Attributed to the Thonet tradition or the Central European bentwood school (including makers such as Jacob & Josef Kohn or Fischel), this piece reflects the formal and structural standards of early 20th-century Viennese production, although no maker’s mark is present to confirm a definitive attribution.
Back and arms are a single length of steam-bent beech, closed into a horseshoe and finished in two rounded ends. The vertical splats sit between that hoop and the seat. The lower ring ties the four legs.
The beech has darkened to a deep walnut tone, the varnish worn at the seat edges and at the feet. The use marks concentrate where the hand grips the back. The patina is even and there are no repaints. The set is complete and stable.
It works around a dining table, and equally on its own as a desk chair or in a reading corner. The wrapping back gives it a presence a side chair does not have.
Details
Ref.: AM25037-S2-3
Dimensions: Length 51 cm – Width 41 cm – Height 78 cm
Piece #1: Length 51 cm – Width 41 cm – Height 78 cm – Seat Height 49 cm
Piece #2: Length 53 cm – Width 41 cm – Height 76 cm – Seat Height 48 cm
Style: Vienna Secession
Materials and techniques: Steam-bent solid beech; moulded board seat; original varnish.
Place of origin: Central Europe
Period: Vienna Secession
Date of manufacture: Circa 1930
Condition: Retains its old varnish with wear at edges and feet. The joints are firm. Wear consistent with age and use.
This piece is part of the curated collection of Amaru Antiques, Barcelona.
ONE OF A KIND PIECE
Additional details:
- Brand: AMARU
- Style: Viena Secession
- Style: Thonet style
- Style: Vienna Secession
- Material: Bentwood
- Material: Beech
- Material: Moulded board
- Material: Varnish
- Colour: Walnut tone
- Period: Circa 1930
Specifications
CategoryArmchairsConditionGoodHeight51 cmWidth41 cmDepth78 cmSeller locationGelida (Barcelona), SpainDelivery optionsDelivery or pickup