bentwood furniture

Type of furniture made of wooden rods bent into shape after being heated with steam. The method was used on the 18th-century Windsor chair, but its principal exponent was Michael Thonet, who exploited its possibilities in the 1840s. His bentwood chairs are among the most successful examples of early mass-produced furniture. Bentwood is light, comfortable, and inexpensive, as well as strong and graceful.

Find more information on bentwood furniture. Upgrade to Britannica Online for more on bentwood furniture.