Lounge Chair ST 664 by Eddie Harlis for Thonet, Germany, 1954
About the Item
- Creator:Thonet (Manufacturer),Eddie Harlis (Designer)
- Dimensions:Height: 28.75 in (73 cm)Width: 22.05 in (56 cm)Depth: 26.38 in (67 cm)Seat Height: 15.36 in (39 cm)
- Style:Mid-Century Modern (Of the Period)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1954
- Condition:Refinished. Wear consistent with age and use. Very good condition, the wood has been refinished.
- Seller Location:Barcelona, ES
- Reference Number:
Thonet
For more than 180 years, Thonet — or Gebrüder Thonet — has produced elegant and durable tables and cabinets as well as chairs, stools and other seating that wholly blur the lines between art and design. Widely known as a trailblazer in the use of bentwood in furniture, the European manufacturer has reimagined the places in which we gather.
Noted for his skill in parquetry, German-Austrian company founder Michael Thonet received an invitation from Austrian Chancellor Prince Metternich to contribute Neo-Rococo interiors to the Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna. The Boppard-born Thonet had honed his carpentry skills in his father’s workshop, where he carried out experiments with plywood and modified the Biedermeier chairs that populated the studio.
Thonet’s work for the chancellor raised his profile, and the cabinetmaker gained international recognition, including at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851, which featured works created by members of the Arts and Crafts movement as well as industrial products of the day. Thonet showed a range of furniture at the fair and won the bronze medal for his bentwood chairs. He incorporated his family’s company, the Thonet Brothers, with his sons in 1853.
Bentwood furniture dates as far back as the Middle Ages, but it is the 19th-century cabinetmaker Thonet who is most often associated with this now-classic technique. Thonet in 1856 patented a method for bending solid wood through the use of steam, and from there, the bentwood look skyrocketed to furniture fame. The works of renowned mid-century modern designers such as Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, and Charles and Ray Eames that put this technological advancement to use would not be as extensive or celebrated were it not for the efforts of the pioneering Thonet.
Considered the world’s oldest mass-produced chair, Michael Thonet’s ubiquitous Chair No. 14 demonstrated that his patented bentwood technology made it possible to efficiently produce furniture on an industrial scale. Now known as the 214, it won the German Sustainability Award Design for 2021, a recognition of the company’s commitment to environmentally responsible production.
Often called the Coffee House chair — the company’s first substantial order was for a Viennese coffeehouse — the No. 14 remains an icon. Thonet originally designed the chair in 1859, and it is considered the starting point for modern furniture.
The bentwood process opened doors — there were investments in machinery and new industrial processes, and the business began mass-producing furniture. By the end of the 1850s, there were additional Thonet workshops in Eastern Europe and hundreds of employees. Michael Thonet’s reputation attracted the attention of notable architects including Otto Wagner, Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
The No. 14 was followed by the No. 18, or the Bistro chair, in 1867, and the 209, or the Architect’s chair, of which Le Corbusier was a fan. (The influential Swiss-French architect and designer used Thonet furniture in his Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouveau at the 1925 International Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris.)
Thonet’s chair designs also appeared in artwork by Toulouse-Lautrec, John Sloan and Henri Matisse in his Interior with a Violin Case. The noteworthy Thonet rocking chair remains a marvel of construction — in the middle of the 19th century, Michael produced a series of rockers in which the different curved parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Thanks to Thonet, the humble rocker acquired something unexpected: style. It was captured in the paintings of Pablo Picasso, Pierre-Auguste Renoir and James Tissot.
Thonet is currently split into global divisions. Thonet Industries U.S.A. was acquired in 1987 by Shelby Williams and joined the CF Group in 1999, while the Thonet brand in Germany is owned by Thonet GmbH.
Find a collection of antique Thonet furniture on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Barcelona, Spain
- Return PolicyA return for this item may be initiated within 3 days of delivery.
- Pegasus Lounge Chair by Arne Vodder for Kircodan, DenmarkBy Arne VodderLocated in Barcelona, ESPegasus lounge chair designed by Arne Vodder for Kircodan, Denmark, 1960's. Solid teak wood with seat and backrest in cognac leather. Signed with producer's plate.Category
Vintage 1960s Danish Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Teak
- FS588 Lounge Chair by Geoffrey Harcourt for Artifort, Netherlands, 1967By Geoffrey Harcourt, ArtifortLocated in Barcelona, ESLounge chair model FS588 designed in 1967 by British designer Geoffrey Harcourt for Artifort, Netherlands. Early edition in classic tan leather and fiberglass swivel base. A very com...Category
Vintage 1960s Dutch Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsLeather, Fiberglass
- Mah Jong Lounge Chair by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, France, 1971By Hans Hopfer, Roche BoboisLocated in Barcelona, ESEarly first edition of Mah Jong lounge chair designed by Hans Hopfer for Roche Bobois, France, 1971. Single seat that easily converts into...Category
Vintage 1970s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric
- Illum Wikkelsø Lounge Chairs for Arflex, Italy, 1960By Arflex, Illum WikkelsøLocated in Barcelona, ESPair of lounge chairs designed in 1960 by Illum Wikkelsø for Arflex, Italy. Wikkelsø's model 451 redesign in 1960 for Arflex, Italy with metal or wood base. This pair are with a blac...Category
Vintage 1960s Italian Scandinavian Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsFabric, Walnut
- Whist Lounge Chairs by Olivier Mourgue, France, 1964By Olivier MourgueLocated in Barcelona, ESWhist lounge chairs designed in 1964 by Olivier Mourgue for Airborne, France. Chrome-plated and lacquered steel structure and original corduroy upholstery.Category
Vintage 1960s French Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsMetal, Steel
- Pair of Lounge Chairs from 1960's, SpainLocated in Barcelona, ESPair of lounge chairs from 1960's, Spain. Interesting Spanish work with thick chrome steel plates, leather straps and original vinyl cushions.Category
Vintage 1960s Spanish Mid-Century Modern Lounge Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- ST 664 Shell Chairs, Designed by Eddie HarlisBy Eddie Harlis, ThonetLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe ST 664 chair designed by Eddie Harlis in 1954. Thonet manufactured the chairs in Germany. These chairs are no longer produced. The chair has a yellow stained finish and are made ...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- ST 664 Shell Chairs, Designed by Eddie Harlis, OrangeBy Thonet, Eddie HarlisLocated in Los Angeles, CAThe ST 664 chair designed by Eddie Harlis in 1954. Thonet manufactured the chairs in Germany. These chairs are no longer produced. The chair has an orange painted finish and are made...Category
Vintage 1960s German Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsSteel, Chrome
- Eddie Harlis for Thonet ST 805 Modernist Cognac Saddle Leather Lounge ChairLocated in Munich, BavariaEddie Harlis designed this Lounge Chair 1959 for Thonet. Modell ST 805. A very rare modernist armchair easy lounge chair. Minimalistic architectural and pure material design. Black ...Category
Mid-20th Century German Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsSteel
- Green Shell Dining Chairs Eddie HarlisBy Eddie HarlisLocated in Otley, GBA superb set of four green Thonet S664 dining chairs. The chairs were originally designed in 1954 by the German Eddie Harlis & manufactured by the design furniture firm Thonet. The s...Category
Vintage 1950s German Mid-Century Modern Dining Room Chairs
MaterialsPlywood
- Eddi Harlis easy chair Rare Model ST 683 by Thonet France, 1956By Eddi HarlisLocated in Paris, FREasy chair by Thonet designed by Eddi Harlis very Rare Model ST 683 made in France 1956 by Thonet. Design with frames made of black lacquered tubular steel seat and Bark covered wit...Category
Mid-20th Century French Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsMetal
- Pair Vintage Leather Lounge Chairs by ThonetBy Thonet, Pierre PaulinLocated in Brooklyn, NYThis beautiful pair of chrome base leather lounge chairs by Thonet offer exquisite Mid-Century style suitable for almost any seating situation. Sturdy stretchers and vintage leather ...Category
Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Armchairs
MaterialsChrome