Thonet Chair Café Daum (no 4)
Inspecting old posts here on the blog results in many new posts. Here is the Thonet Chair Café Daum. Still available at Thonet Australia
Designer: Thonet
Finishes Walnut and Dark Oak
Dimensions in mm H 890, D 550, W 420 Seat H 460
Thonets first independent commission in 1849, resulted in this design for the Café Daum in Vienna. Today it is
recognised as the quintessential society cafe chair. European beech frame, beech ply seat. Seat pad an option.
That’s nice. Isn’t it?
However, whenever you are looking for a Thonet chair, you shouldn’t forget to check the sites of the connoisseurs. I checked the German language site of Swiss Thonet specialist Dieter Staedeli. Currently he has this photo of a Thonet no 4:
and has following observation:
The chair Thonet designed for Café Daum which became became the Thonet no 4 later didn’t have additional leg stabilization
Now I’m a bit confused: I see two differences: The leg stabilisation and the form of the seat. Which in the Staedeli photo is made of two round bentwood parts. Also it misses the additional seat-back stabilisator….
Can you tell me where I can find some info on two Thonet chairs I have? They are sort of similar to the Cafe Duam chair above, in that they have the bentwood piece just below the seat. However, the legs are straight, and the back rest is sort of like a ladder back, with just two rungs – a 3″ deep rung at the top, then a narrower one about half way down towards the seat. The seat itself is made of solid wood, not plywood, and has that curved out indentation for your behind to rest in. Generally, these chairs are a bit less curvy than the cafe chairs I have seen by this company. They are very stable, and in great shape, probably purchased around the early 80’s from a flea market in New Jersey.
There is a a little left of a paper label on the bottom of one. On it there is a blue square containing three words, the top word being Thonet, then below it a word beginning with a K, and then below that a word beginning with M. Outside of the blue square, it says “Bros” (as in brothers) and New York. The rest has torn off over the years. As far as I can see, there are no other identifying marks in the wood.
I would be happy to take photos and email them to anyone that can help me. I was thinking of painting them, because I did not think they were valuable, but now I am not so sure if I should.
Jennifer
I suggest you check out the various Thonet sites I mention here on Chair Blog. Thonet Brothers suggest it has been manufactured by the US company.
I think that could be Kohn Bros-as in the designers, Jacob& Josef?
Dear Guido J. van den Elshout
what is the material of the chair? rottan or wood?
thank you..
regards
Heru
3design-indonesia
Bentwood Heru
I tend to agree with S Colina: the ‘K’ for Kohn, the ‘M’ for Mundus that eventually partnered with father and son Kohn, but the ‘Bros’ could be Thonet Bros that eventually teamed with Kohn and Mundus.
I have a set of three similar to the 2nd Thonet Cafe Daum chairs, above, with a trapezoidal seat padded over, with double band around seat, and with curved brackets (28mm) seat-to-back. Mine are stamped ‘J KOHN’. Their roundish leg brace is a couple inches lower. The backs are 91mm high.
Another pair I have were painted, no name or place, no seat-to-back bracket, the leg bracket curves up from the rear legs touches the seat rim midway, dips to touch the front legs, like the top image and the seat rim is a single band (seat is round); the upper legs have no turned capitols. These are 85mm high.
Anyone know the manufacturer?