Curved wooden side table Art Nouveau, 1910s

This Thonet-style side table, antique, is a rare and highly sought-after example of the transition between the end of Art Nouveau (Jugendstil) and the beginning of modern functionalism. It showcases the revolutionary steam-bending technique that made the Thonet brothers icons of furniture design. Unlike the more minimalist models of the 1920s, this model from the early 1900s retains the structural ornamentation of the Vienna Secession. It was designed to be light enough to be easily moved in a Viennese café or a high-society salon. The visible materials and the specific way in which the bent wood loops are screwed into the vertical legs are characteristic indicators of the production methods (Thonet) from the early 20th century.