Thonet Ladies Walking-Stick-Chair, Austria, c. 1900

This unusual Damen-Stocksessel, or ladies’ walking-stick chair, closely corresponds to a model illustrated in historic Gebrüder (Fratelli) Thonet catalogues around the turn of the 20th century. The catalogue describes it as Damen-Stocksessel / Lady’s Walking-Stick Chair.

Made from bent beechwood, the slender walking stick unfolds into a three-legged seat with a small circular woven cane surface. When opened, the curved walking-stick handle remains upright behind the seat. The construction is remarkably economical: a walking aid and portable resting place combined in one lightweight object.

No Thonet paper label or factory stamp has survived. Its construction, proportions, fittings and close correspondence with the documented Thonet catalogue model support an attribution to Gebrüder Thonet, rather than allowing a fully documented maker identification. The precise Thonet production site is also unknown; while the company was based in Vienna, its bentwood furniture was manufactured at several factories throughout the former Austro-Hungarian Empire.

Perhaps the most personal detail is the small embossed metal badge wrapped around the handle. It reads “Vetriolo – Trentino – Terme – M 1500” and depicts the thermal establishment at Vetriolo Terme, the historic mountain spa above Levico in Trentino. These little travel badges, often known as Stocknägel, were traditionally attached to walking sticks as souvenirs of places visited.