No. 14 Bentwood Chair – Natural Beech with Cane Seat

• Design & Origins

  • Originally created in 1855 in Michael Thonet’s workshop in Boppard, Germany

  • Known as the “bistro chair”, the No. 14 is often regarded as the most famous chair of all time

  • Celebrated for its simple elegance and construction from just a handful of bentwood pieces

  • This version, also called the A14, is still produced today using the handcraft techniques developed by Thonet

• Bentwood Innovation

  • In the 1840s, Thonet pioneered bending steamed wood into pliable forms

  • Over the next 20 years, he and his sons perfected processes and machines for mass production

  • Developed the “traditional” bentwood form:

    • Backrest and back legs made from a single bent piece

    • Rounded woven cane or laminated seat

    • Front legs joined on different planes – achievable only with bentwood techniques

  • By the 1850s, Thonet’s bentwood designs had become mainstream, establishing a catalog of chairs unmatched in influence

• Production

  • Made in the Czech Republic by Ton

  • Crafted with authentic 19th-century methods to preserve the legacy of Thonet’s design

• Dimensions

  • Height: 33”

  • Depth: 20 ¼”

  • Width: 16 ¼”

  • Seat Height: 18 ¼”

• Materials

  • Frame: Solid natural beechwood

  • Seat: Woven cane