Armchair in Bentwood from Thonet, Austria, 1900

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An antique armchair in bentwood, with arms finished in full scrolls beneath a curved back and a moulded board seat. … Read more An antique armchair in bentwood, with arms finished in full scrolls beneath a curved back and a moulded board seat. Originates from Austria, 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. They are, without a doubt, genuine Thonet chairs, even if no stamp or mark attests to their authenticity.The arms resolve into two full scrolls of steam-bent beech, coiled on themselves down to the support. The seat is a moulded board over a bent hoop, and a turned stretcher ties the rear 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.A standalone seat, for a study, a bedroom or the corner of a library. Its volume and dark tone ask for space around it and little visual competition. See less