Antique Bentwood Coat Stand from Thonet, Central Europe, 1900

Bentwood Coat Stand in Beechwood – Austria-Hungary, Thonet Style, Circa 1900, close to Thonet Model 10401, of straight central shaft and crown of six rolled arms as hooks, on four curved feet in fan formation. It originates from Central Europe, from the Vienna Secession period, when Thonet spread the language of bentwood — steam-bent beech — across European domestic furniture.

The bentwood coat stand emerged as a natural complement to Thonet’s chair No. 14: light, dismountable, mass-producible and shipped in flat boxes to any corner of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Its silhouette — vertical shaft, crown of hooks, fan-shaped base — became an icon of Viennese cafés, hotels and bourgeois homes at the turn of the century.

It is built in solid steam-bent beech, with parts turned and bent cold after moulding. The central shaft is a turned rod at top and bottom; the upper hooks are six double-curved closed arches, fixed to the head with hidden screws; and the base is composed of four curved arms joined to the foot with an internal metal tie. The finish is dark stain and varnish, characteristic of the Thonet programme.

The patina is warm and quiet, with the original varnish slightly darkened by decades of service and small marks at the tips of the hooks where coats and hats were hung. The structure keeps its original firmness and geometry, with no play in the joints.

It sits naturally in eclectic, mid-century or contemporary interiors. It works as an entrance coat stand in an apartment, as a coat hanger in a dressing room, or as a sculptural piece in a clear corner, where the silhouette of the crown against a white wall acts as the only graphic note of the composition.

Details

Dimensions: Length 80 cm – Width 76 cm – Height 188 cm
Style: Vienna Secession (Thonet bentwood)
Materials and techniques: Solid steam-bent beech; turning; assembly with hidden screws and internal metal tie; dark stain and varnish.
Place of origin: Central Europe
Period: Vienna Secession (1897–1918)
Date of manufacture: Circa 1900
Condition: Good. Wear consistent with age and use.


ONE OF A KIND PIECE