Antique chairs in Thonet style bentwood – Hungary, circa 1960 #7
€390Bid from €351
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Gelida (Barcelona), SpainOn Whoppah since July 2026 • 0 sales
Product description
A set of two antique chairs in bentwood, with a curved crest rail over vertical splats and a moulded board seat. Originates from Hungary, 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. The chairs retain the labels of their Hungarian maker. Hungary sustained a bentwood industry of its own, parallel to the Viennese and Moravian ones, supplying cafés and domestic dining rooms across the region. Produced during the same period as Thonet furniture, this chair reflects the bentwood technique developed in Central Europe in the late 19th century. Its construction and typology suggest a parallel production—possibly a contemporary copy or a piece made under license within the broader network of workshops that adopted this innovative method. Beyond any specific attribution, it retains the functional character and essential aesthetic of period bentwood design.
The seat hoops and stretchers are single lengths of steam-bent beech; the rear legs run up in continuity with the back uprights. The joints are screwed from inside, the heads left visible beneath the seat. The two seats differ: one is embossed, the other plain.
The beech has taken a pale honey tone under its original varnish, more golden where hands and clothes have passed. The seats show the sheen that years of use give, with the odd fine scratch. The curves keep their tension and the hoops have no play. The set is complete and stable.
An everyday dining chair, easy to stack against a wall and light to move. It works around a solid wood table and suits a rustic kitchen as readily as a contemporary dining room.
Details
Ref.: AM35048-S2-7
Dimensions: Length 43 cm – Width 39 cm – Height 76 cm
Piece #1: Length 43 cm – Width 39 cm – Height 76 cm – Seat Height 46 cm
Piece #2: Length 40 cm – Width 39 cm – Height 75 cm – Seat Height 46 cm
Style: Vienna Secession
Materials and techniques: Steam-bent solid beech; moulded board seat; original varnish.
Place of origin: Hungary
Period: Post-war Central European production
Date of manufacture: Circa 1960
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: Beech
- Material: Bentwood
- Material: Moulded board
- Colour: Honey
- Colour: Golden
- Period: 1960s