THONET chair bentwood chair • Programme 218
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THONET chair bentwood chair • Programme 218
First produced in 1876, the Model No. 18 with its distinctive "hairpin" backrest returns to the Thonet portfolio as the 218, with a clear and reduced aesthetic. Alongside the No. 14 armchair and the No. 56 armchair, the No. 18 was one of the best-selling models of Thonet production. The Thonet brothers' so-called "export chair" was sold in large numbers for use in restaurants and cafés – above all to South America. Disassembled into individual parts, 36 chairs fitted into a single sea chest, allowing the chair to be shipped easily and in large quantities on long journeys. Now Model No. 18 – under the designation 218 – is being produced again in Frankenberg.
The THONET 218 bentwood chair stands on a four-legged frame made of bentwood, its backrest carrying the eponymous hairpin. The seat is available in three versions: as a shell seat made of moulded plywood, as cane weave with a plastic support fabric beneath the seat, and with mirror upholstery. Depending on the version, the seat height is 46 or 47 cm, and the weight ranges between 2.7 and 4.5 kg. The wood is finished in Beech I, with further stain shades in Beech II available at an extra charge; the cane weave is also available in DARK MELANGE. Plastic glides are included; felt glides are available at an extra charge.
- Design: Gebrüder Thonet, 1876
- Type: bentwood chair
- Frame: four-legged frame made of bentwood
- Glides: plastic glides (included) or felt glides (at extra charge)
- Seat: shell seat in moulded plywood · cane weave seat with plastic support fabric beneath the seat, optionally in DARK MELANGE at extra charge
- Surface finish: Beech I (Beech II stain shades at extra charge)
- Upholstery: seat with mirror upholstery (mirror-upholstered seat)
- Seat height: 46 cm (moulded plywood shell seat / cane weave seat) · 47 cm (mirror-upholstered seat)
- Weight: 3.3 kg (moulded plywood shell seat) · 4.5 kg (mirror-upholstered seat) · 2.7 kg (cane weave seat)
Dimensions (W x D x H): 43 x 52 x 84 cm
Mirror upholstery: With mirror upholstery, only the inner side is upholstered – precisely the area where you sit and lean back. The reverse of the seat shell remains visible in wood or plastic. This keeps the chair light and delicate while still noticeably increasing seating comfort.
Shell seat: The shell seat is a seat surface made of moulded plywood that is slightly recessed towards the centre rather than flat. As a result, you sit somewhat into the surface rather than merely on it: weight is distributed better, and you don't slide forward. More comfortable than a flat wooden board – and entirely without padding. This is denoted by the "M" in the model name, for example in 214 M or 118 M.
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