Thonet Rocking Chair

by Stable MARK

From elegant parlors to sunlit verandas, Thonet bentwood rocking chairs brought movement and ease into 19th-century homes.

Collage of Thonet rocking chairs including photographs of original bentwood models and historic catalogue illustrations. The designs feature elegant scrollwork, cane seats and backs, and characteristic curved wooden frames. — Collection of Thonet rocking chairs — original designs and catalogue illustrations from the 19th and early 20th century, showcasing the elegance of bentwood furniture.
Source: by Stable MARK - own work.

In this article you’ll discover Thonet rocking chairs both as preserved museum pieces and as catalogue illustrations from 1904 and later. From the elegant Model No. 9 to the grand chaise longue No. 7500 and even child-sized designs, the collection shows how Thonet combined comfort, artistry, and global reach.

Table of Contents

Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair Model No. 9 later as Model B 809 Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair Model No. 7010 Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair Model No. 7021 B Thonet Rocking Chaise Model No. 7500 Thonet Bentwood Rocking Child's Chair Model No. 12551 Thonet Metal Rocking Chair Model Unknown

Rocking chairs became part of the Thonet production range in the 1860s and were quickly exported worldwide through illustrated catalogues. From Europe to America, they furnished homes, salons, and verandas, and today they remain an important chapter in the history of Thonet chairs.

Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair Model No. 9 later as Model B 809

Thonet Rocking Armchair, Model No. 9. Design and production: Gebrüder Thonet, around 1890. — Image: Thonet rocking armchair Model No. 9, made around 1890 by Gebrüder Thonet. Crafted from bent solid beechwood, stained brown, with a woven cane seat and backrest, featuring elegant spiral side supports.
Source: by Stable MARK - own work.

Beechwood, solid bent, stained brown; cane weave.

Thonet rocking chair, Model No. 9 (also B 809 in 1930 Thonet-Mundus catalogue), with bentwood beech frame, cane seat and backrest, and distinctive spiral scrollwork on the sides. — Image: Thonet Rocking Armchair Model No. 9 – originally listed as Model 9 in the Thonet catalogue of 1904, and later as Model B 809 in the Thonet-Mundus catalogue of 1930. Despite the renumbering, both entries describe the same iconic design.
Source: Thonet Catalogue 1904, Internet Archive.

Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair Model No. 7010

Beechwood, solid and bent, partly laminated and turned, stained in brown and red tones; brass; cherry veneer; cane weave; plywood, perforated; damask and plush upholstery; leather covering.

Illustration of Thonet bentwood rocking chair Model No. 7010 from the 1904 catalogue, featuring elegantly curved frames and a woven cane seat and backrest. — Image: Thonet Rocking Chair Model No. 7010 from the 1904 catalogue. Dimensions: 42 × 42 cm, seat height 36 cm, backrest height 62 cm. Original price: 20 Kr. — equivalent to EUR 178.01 (according to the Historical Currency Converter of the Austrian National Bank – OeNB).
Source: Thonet Catalogue 1904, Internet Archive.

Learn More Still curious about bentwood furniture? Click here to learn about the Thonet chair.

Thonet Bentwood Rocking Chair Model No. 7021 B

Beechwood, solid, turned and bent, stained in brown or red; with brass details, plywood elements, and woven cane.

Thonet bentwood rocking chair Model No. 7021/B, catalogue illustration from 1904. The chair features elegantly curved bentwood elements with a woven cane seat and backrest. — Image: Thonet rocking chair Model No. 7021/B, designed and produced by Gebrüder Thonet, c. 1904. Dimensions: seat height 43 cm, backrest height 88 cm. Price: 38 Kr. (EUR 338.21, according to the Historical Currency Converter of the Austrian National Bank – OeNB).
Source: Thonet Catalogue 1904, Internet Archive.

Learn More Still curious? Click here to learn about how can you tell if a thonet chair is real.

Thonet Rocking Chaise Model No. 7500

Thonet rocking sofa with a long bentwood frame, brown-stained beechwood, and woven cane seat and backrest, designed around 1876 and produced around 1890. — Image: Thonet rocking sofa, design by Gebrüder Thonet, c. 1876. Produced by Gebrüder Thonet, c. 1890.
Source: by Stable MARK - own work.

Beechwood, solid bentwood, stained brown.

Catalogue illustration of Thonet rocking sofa Model No. 7500 with elegant bentwood frame and cane seat and backrest, measuring 110 × 53 cm, from 1904. — Image: Thonet rocking sofa, Model No. 7500. Catalogue illustration, 1904. Dimensions: 110 × 53 cm. Original price: 54 Kr., which equals EUR 480.62 (according to the Historical Currency Converter of the Austrian National Bank – OeNB).
Source: Thonet Catalogue 1904, Internet Archive.

Learn More Still curious about bentwood furniture? Click here to learn about the Thonet Seettee and Table.

Thonet Bentwood Rocking Child's Chair Model No. 12551

Thonet child’s bentwood rocking chair, Model No. 12551, with curved beechwood frame and woven cane seat and backrest, produced around 1900. — Image: Thonet child’s bentwood rocking chair, Model No. 12551. Design and production: Gebrüder Thonet, around 1900.
Source: by Stable MARK - own work.

Beechwood, solid and bent, turned, stained; mahogany-veneered; brass; cane weave; plywood; original waxed canvas covering; plush upholstery; velvet covering; damask upholstery; leather covering.