Thonet's rocking chair, which became famous under the name Schaukel-Fauteuil No. 1, is a masterpiece of craftsmanship: the first rocking chair in the world that was manufactured from bentwood. On the occasion of their 190th anniversary, Thonet will be producing a limited run of this bentwood classic. From the autumn 2009 season onwards, a collector's edition of 25 pieces will be available for Thonet aficionados.
The design for this appealing bentwood chair goes back to the company's founder Michael Thonet and his sons. In 1860, in the Moravian town of Koritschan, the Rocking Chair No. 1 was first manufactured using the new bentwood technique that is still being used today. The wood is heated with water vapour and then bent into the desired shape, which gives this rocking chair its particular charm. Michael Thonet developed the technique of bending solid beechwood in 1856. With his revolutionary Cafe House Chair No. 14, he was to receive worldwide acclaim.
Today, the Rocking Chair No. 1 is part of the history of modern furniture and can be found in museums all over the world. The limited edition of 25 pieces will be manufactured at Thonet's headquarters in Frankenberg using the traditional methods and original tools. The Rocking Chair No. 1 will be available in stained beechwood, in the colours black, hazelnut and mahagony. The back and seat of the chair are made of solid canework - a trademark of the famous Thonet bentwood furniture.
Thonet Collect
Under this label, classic Thonet pieces are manufactured in limited editions. Individual pieces from the Thonet Collect series are numbered and delivered with hand-signed certificates of authenticity. The rocking chair is the third edition of the Thonet Collect series. While the limited edition of the S 828 rocking chaise in spring 2009 celebrated the Thonet tradition of tubular-steel furniture, this autumn will focus on the unique bentwood technique developed by Michael Thonet. It thus connects to the 2008 G 25 bentwood wardrobe - the first piece to introduce the Thonet Collect series.