Minneapolis Institute of Art

Rocking chaise, model no. 7500

Designer: Attributed to August Thonet; Manufacturer: Gebrüder Thonet

Date

c. 1880

Medium

Bent and turned beechwood, caning

Department

European Art

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Still eye-catching today, this chaise is constructed of carefully bent beech wood that seems to writhe beneath the back and seat, creating motion even at a standstill. In the mid-1800s, Thonet set a precedent as the first company to make well-designed, mass-produced furniture that was widely distributed throughout Europe. But because this rocking chaise required considerable space, it was a status object for those with large and affluent homes. Austria

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