Rocking Chaise

This adjustable rocking chaise is made from bent beech wood rods and has a woven cane seat and back rest. The sides are formed by two spliced rods bent in a generous elongated figure eight, terminating in a spiral beneath the back rest and a whiplash under the foot of the chaise. During the 1850s Michael Thonet perfected his process of bending lengths of steamed beech rods around iron molds. This technological achievement, which eliminated laborious hand-carving and simplified production, led to the first mass-produced, inexpensive, standardized furniture. Bentwood furniture, which ranged from simple cafe chairs to flamboyant rocking chaises like this one, could be made entirely from prefabricated components. The only ornament consisted of decorative spirals accenting the ends of the rods.