Verner Panton designed the S-chair in 1956 but couldn't find a manufacturer willing to take it on — bending and laminating wood into a single continuous cantilever was technically daunting and commercially risky. It took nearly a decade before A. Sommer, producing for the bentwood specialists at Gebrüder Thonet, finally put it into production. When they did in 1965, it became the first legless chair made from a single piece of plywood — a milestone that directly preceded Panton's more famous all-plastic chair by just two years.
This early example is everything the wood version should be: fourteen layers of bent laminated beech, aniline-dyed in a warm terracotta that has deepened beautifully over sixty years. The S-chair is pure sculptural problem-solving — no legs, no joints, just a single continuous form that somehow holds a person. Stamped "Made in W. Germany" to underside, confirming original Thonet production.
It works as a side chair, an accent piece, or simply as sculpture you happen to be able to sit in.
Verner Panton · A. Sommer for Gebrüder Thonet Denmark/West Germany · designed 1956, produced 1965 Aniline-dyed beech · 32¾"h × 18¼"w × 21"d Stamped manufacturer's mark to underside
Interested in this piece? Reach out at josh@theprairiemodern.com or call/text 323.719.9242. Shipping and local delivery available — quoted per piece.
Verner Panton designed the S-chair in 1956 but couldn't find a manufacturer willing to take it on — bending and laminating wood into a single continuous cantilever was technically daunting and commercially risky. It took nearly a decade before A. Sommer, producing for the bentwood specialists at Gebrüder Thonet, finally put it into production. When they did in 1965, it became the first legless chair made from a single piece of plywood — a milestone that directly preceded Panton's more famous all-plastic chair by just two years.
This early example is everything the wood version should be: fourteen layers of bent laminated beech, aniline-dyed in a warm terracotta that has deepened beautifully over sixty years. The S-chair is pure sculptural problem-solving — no legs, no joints, just a single continuous form that somehow holds a person. Stamped "Made in W. Germany" to underside, confirming original Thonet production.
It works as a side chair, an accent piece, or simply as sculpture you happen to be able to sit in.
Verner Panton · A. Sommer for Gebrüder Thonet Denmark/West Germany · designed 1956, produced 1965 Aniline-dyed beech · 32¾"h × 18¼"w × 21"d Stamped manufacturer's mark to underside
Interested in this piece? Reach out at josh@theprairiemodern.com or call/text 323.719.9242. Shipping and local delivery available — quoted per piece.
