Set of Four 1988 TON Bentwood Chairs by Antonin Suman

Set of four 1988 TON bentwood armchairs by Antonín Šuman, Czechoslovakia
Four cream bentwood TON chairs by Antonín Šuman with original red-pink seats
Set of four vintage Czechoslovak TON armchairs designed by Antonín Šuman
1980s TON bentwood chairs in cream-painted beech with original upholstery
Front view of Antonín Šuman bentwood armchair for TON, Czechoslovakia
Pair of cream TON armchairs by Antonín Šuman with red-pink upholstered seats
Angled view of 1988 TON bentwood armchair showing Šuman's curved armrest design
Side view of Antonín Šuman bentwood chair produced by TON in 1988
Curved bentwood backrest and armrests of 1980s TON chair by Antonín Šuman
Rear view of cream-painted TON bentwood armchair by Antonín Šuman
Bent beech back and armrest construction of Antonín Šuman chair for TON
Original red-pink upholstered seat on 1988 Czechoslovak TON armchair
Detail of original upholstery on Antonín Šuman bentwood chair for TON
Cream-painted bentwood frame and round upholstered seat of vintage TON chair
Detail of curved beech armrest on Antonín Šuman TON armchair
Bentwood joint and original cream-painted finish on 1988 TON chair
Video of Martin from By Barnabas sitting in Suman chair.gif
Original Thonet catalogue showing bentwood chairs
1910s original Thonet sales catalogue
1930s Original Thonet Sales Catalogue displaying betwood chairs
TON furniture catalogue showing Antonín Šuman bentwood armchair design, Czechoslovakia
Le Corbusier sitting on his favourite chair produced by Thonet
1930s Modernist interior with betwood Thonet chairs
Charles and Ray Eames at home with Thonet Chair
Charles and Ray Eames home in the US showing Thonet chair
Set of four 1988 TON bentwood armchairs by Antonín Šuman, Czechoslovakia
Four cream bentwood TON chairs by Antonín Šuman with original red-pink seats
Set of four vintage Czechoslovak TON armchairs designed by Antonín Šuman
1980s TON bentwood chairs in cream-painted beech with original upholstery
Front view of Antonín Šuman bentwood armchair for TON, Czechoslovakia
Pair of cream TON armchairs by Antonín Šuman with red-pink upholstered seats
Angled view of 1988 TON bentwood armchair showing Šuman's curved armrest design
Side view of Antonín Šuman bentwood chair produced by TON in 1988
Curved bentwood backrest and armrests of 1980s TON chair by Antonín Šuman
Rear view of cream-painted TON bentwood armchair by Antonín Šuman
Bent beech back and armrest construction of Antonín Šuman chair for TON
Original red-pink upholstered seat on 1988 Czechoslovak TON armchair
Detail of original upholstery on Antonín Šuman bentwood chair for TON
Cream-painted bentwood frame and round upholstered seat of vintage TON chair
Detail of curved beech armrest on Antonín Šuman TON armchair
Bentwood joint and original cream-painted finish on 1988 TON chair
Video of Martin from By Barnabas sitting in Suman chair.gif
Original Thonet catalogue showing bentwood chairs
1910s original Thonet sales catalogue
1930s Original Thonet Sales Catalogue displaying betwood chairs
TON furniture catalogue showing Antonín Šuman bentwood armchair design, Czechoslovakia
Le Corbusier sitting on his favourite chair produced by Thonet
1930s Modernist interior with betwood Thonet chairs
Charles and Ray Eames at home with Thonet Chair
Charles and Ray Eames home in the US showing Thonet chair
sale

Set of Four 1988 TON Bentwood Chairs by Antonin Suman

€680.00 €780.00

A striking set of four bentwood armchairs designed by Antonín Šuman and produced by TON in Czechoslovakia in 1988.

Finished in warm cream with their original muted red-pink seats, the chairs combine TON’s remarkable bentwood tradition with Šuman’s subtle approach to modern furniture design. Sculptural, comfortable and full of character, they work beautifully around a dining table or as occasional chairs.

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About the Piece

These chairs represent a fascinating continuation of the Czechoslovak bentwood tradition.

Their design has its roots in earlier bentwood armchairs produced by Gebrüder Thonet. After the post-war reorganisation of the Czechoslovak furniture industry, the former Thonet factories became part of TON, which continued this remarkable manufacturing tradition while introducing new designs and adaptations for contemporary interiors.

Antonín Šuman (1924–1998) joined Thonet in 1949 and continued with the company after it became TON. During his long career, he became one of its important furniture designers, frequently revisiting established bentwood forms and subtly adapting them for a new generation.

This chair is a particularly interesting example. Šuman retained the flowing bentwood construction of an earlier Thonet armchair while modifying the armrests, giving the familiar form a cleaner and more contemporary character.

The four chairs offered here were manufactured by TON in 1988. Their cream-painted beech frames are paired with original upholstered seats in a wonderfully characteristic muted red-pink fabric - a combination that gives the set a distinctive late-Czechoslovak character.

Details

Designer: Antonín Šuman (1924–1998)
Manufacturer: TON
Period: 1988
Origin: Czechoslovakia
Style: Czechoslovak Modern / Bentwood
Materials: Painted beech, fabric
Colour: Cream with muted red-pink upholstery
Quantity: Set of four chairs

Dimensions:
Width: 55 cm
Depth: 55 cm
Height: 76 cm
Seat height: 46 cm

Condition & Restoration

The chairs are in very good vintage condition and retain their original cream-painted finish and red-pink upholstered seats.

The wooden frames show signs of age and previous use, including light scratches, marks and areas of wear to the painted finish. We have deliberately preserved these traces of use as part of the chairs’ history and character rather than over-restoring them.

The original upholstery has been carefully cleaned and remains in good usable condition, with light age-related wear but no significant visible damage.

All four chairs have been carefully checked, cleaned and prepared for use in our Brno workshop.

Please refer to the photographs for a detailed record of their condition.

Why We Like Them

We love the contrast between the elegant bentwood curves, the warm cream-painted frames and the original muted red-pink upholstery. There is something wonderfully distinctive about the combination - unmistakably of its period, yet surprisingly easy to imagine in a contemporary interior.

We also like that the chairs still carry their history visibly. Rather than being restored to look new, they retain the small marks and imperfections accumulated over nearly four decades of use.

And they are genuinely comfortable. The generous proportions and curved armrests give them much more presence than a conventional dining chair - something that is perhaps best demonstrated by Martin in one of the photographs.

Delivery & Returns

The set will be carefully packed and shipped from our studio in Brno, Czech Republic.

EU shipping: €160, calculated at checkout.

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, both before and after your furniture arrives.