The Number 18 Bentwood Chair was actually first designed by one of Michael Thonet’s sons, August Thonet, in the late 1800s.  The A18 Bentwood Chair remains a popular item due to its light but strong characteristics.

In the 1840s Michael Thonet began experimenting with furniture made by bending wood that had been steamed into a soft and pliable state. Over the next 20 years, Michael Thonet and his sons developed the processes and machines that would allow them to build bentwood furniture in unprecedented quantities. It was in this time period that he developed what has become thought of as the “traditional” Michael Thonet-designed bentwood chair: one featuring a backrest and back legs made from a single piece, a rounded cane or laminated seat, and front legs. To reduce the number of pieces used in building chairs, he had to connect the main elements that existed on different planes.  This could only be achieved by bending wood.  Michael Thonet’s further experimentation with bending wood yielded amazing results.  By the 1850s, Michael Thonet’s bentwood styles had become mainstream, and he was on his way to creating a catalog of chairs yet to be rivaled.

The output of Michael Thonet’s factories was vast, largely due to his innovative design approach, which involved creating separate pieces that could be combined to produce a wide range of models. Michael Thonet stands out as a designer and pioneer both in mass production and in design, as he artistically explored the new forms and unique qualities of his newly invented technique.  Remarkably, few changes have been necessary over the last 150 years. The factory continues to employ 19th-century production methods, as developed by Michael Thonet, to produce stylistically accurate, handsome, and sturdy bentwood chairs, stools, tables, and accessories. Today, the No. 18 Bentwood Chair is widely used in cafes, restaurants, offices, and homes. 

Made in the Czech Republic by Ton.

Dimensions: H 33″  D 20 1/2″  W 16 1/4″  SH18 1/4″

Materials:  Bentwood chair.  Frame in solid natural beechwood or beechwood with stain.  Seat in woven cane or wood veneer.  Please note seat will match frame coloring when specifying the wood veneer seat.

In stock in B123 black stain with woven cane seat and B039 natural beechwood with a woven cane seat.