1980s Model No. 45 Chair by Josef Macek for TON
1980s Model No. 45 Chair by Josef Macek for TON
A distinctive late-1980s Czechoslovak dining chair, Model No. 45, designed by Josef Macek for TON.
Made from bent beechwood with a newly upholstered seat in light blue fabric, the chair combines TON's long tradition of bentwood furniture with the more expressive, playful design language of the 1980s.
Its extraordinary tall backrest gives the chair an almost architectural silhouette, while the sculptural bentwood support beneath the seat reveals a surprisingly organic construction from the side.
Design & History
Josef Macek belongs to a generation of Czechoslovak designers whose work remains relatively little known internationally despite an extraordinarily productive career.
Working extensively in furniture design, Macek created hundreds of designs during his career, including numerous chairs and other pieces developed for serial production. Model No. 45 belongs to the later part of his work and was produced by TON in Czechoslovakia during the late 1980s.
By this point, TON had inherited more than a century of experience in bentwood furniture production from the former Thonet factories in Czechoslovakia.
Rather than simply repeating historical bentwood forms, Macek used that manufacturing tradition to create something unmistakably of its own period.
The tall back is constructed from bent and angled cylindrical wooden elements connected by four slender vertical supports. Beneath the seat, another substantial piece of bentwood sweeps between the legs in an almost continuous curve.
The result feels simultaneously familiar and unexpected - traditional bentwood technology transformed into the much more expressive language of late-20th-century design.
Design Details
The defining feature is undoubtedly the exceptionally tall backrest.
Three substantial rounded wooden elements form its outer structure, changing direction as they rise above the seat. Four slender vertical rods sit within this frame, creating a strong graphic rhythm while keeping the chair visually open.
The construction becomes even more interesting when viewed from the side.
A substantial bentwood element curves beneath the upholstered seat, connecting the structure with the flowing organic line characteristic of TON's long furniture-making tradition.
The dark brown finish emphasises the silhouette of the wooden frame, while the light blue upholstery introduces a contrasting area of colour and softness.
Despite its dramatic appearance, the chair remains relatively compact - the exaggerated height of the back creates much of its visual presence without requiring a large footprint.
Why We Like It
We love the fact that this chair is clearly descended from the Thonet bentwood tradition, yet looks nothing like a nineteenth-century Thonet chair.
The technology is familiar - bent wood, curved supports and an economical construction - but Macek pushes it somewhere completely different.
That extraordinarily tall back gives the chair real personality. From the front it creates a strong graphic composition of dark wood and vertical lines; from the side, the curved structure beneath the seat reveals how much movement is actually hidden within the design.
We also like its slightly eccentric character.
It is functional enough to sit around a dining table, but unusual enough to work beautifully as a single accent chair - the kind of object that can give an otherwise restrained interior a little tension and humour.
For us, it is also a reminder that interesting Czechoslovak furniture design did not end with the celebrated Modernist and Mid-Century generations. Designers such as Josef Macek continued to experiment with the country's remarkable furniture-making tradition right through the final years of Czechoslovakia.
Condition & Restoration
The chair is in very good vintage condition.
The wooden frame retains its dark brown finish and shows only minimal signs of age and previous use.
The original upholstery was unfortunately damaged beyond repair and has therefore been replaced with new light blue fabric, chosen to complement the dark wooden frame while remaining sympathetic to the character of the chair.
The construction has been carefully checked and is stable and ready for everyday use.
Please refer to the photographs for a detailed record of its condition.
Details
Model: No. 45
Designer: Josef Macek
Manufacturer: TON
Period: Late 1980s
Origin: Czechoslovakia
Materials: Bent Beechwood
Delivery & Returns
The chair will be carefully packed and shipped from our studio in Brno, Czech Republic.
EU shipping: €40, confirmed at checkout.
Estimated EU delivery: 3–5 working days
We also ship worldwide using trusted international couriers. Please contact us for a tailored shipping quote outside the EU.
EU customers have a 14-day right of withdrawal. Please see our Terms & Conditions for full details.
If you’d like to check anything before ordering - from condition and dimensions to delivery - Martin and Amy are always happy to help throughout the process, and also after your piece has arrived.
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