The Charm and Beauty of Bentwood: From Thonet to Today

You are cordially invited to the opening of the exhibition at the museum in Zaprice Castle on Wednesday, 5 November 2025, at 6 p.m.

The exhibition of the most interesting and valuable examples of bentwood furniture from the unique collection of the Intermunicipal Museum Kamnik and the private collection of Jurij and Ilona Rihar offers a glimpse into a world where wood yields to form – yet never loses its natural character.

At the heart of the story stands Michael Thonet, a visionary whose life’s path tells of courage, clear vision, and the ability to see in wood more than just raw material. Already in the mid-19th century, he succeeded in combining craftsmanship, technical innovation, and industrial logic into an aesthetic and functional whole. His pioneering technique of bending solid wood not only made serial production possible, but also gave the world an object that became a synonym for timeless design – the legendary Chair No. 14.

Its elegance, lightness, and accessibility carried it into cafés, homes, and public spaces across the globe, securing Thonet’s place among the pioneers of modern design.

Yet the exhibition tells more than the story of one man and one factory – it also presents the rich heritage of bentwood furniture factories throughout the former Austro-Hungarian Empire and in Slovenia, with special emphasis on the nearby Duplica factory near Kamnik, which made an important contribution to both local and broader industrial history.

The exhibition will be opened by Zora Torkar, co-author of the exhibition and museum director, and Janez Suhadolc, architect and designer.