#connectingthroughhistory #thonetfurniture

Thonet Furniture – Our Shared Heritage

With the upcoming exhibition Michael Thonet. The Charm and Beauty of Bentwood – Thonet to the Present Day, we step into a story that transcends the boundaries of museum collections. This is a shared journey into the world of exceptional bentwood furniture, where the expertise of the museum meets the passion of a private collector. The exhibited items come from the collection of the Intermunicipal Museum Kamnik, which holds the largest museum collection of Thonet furniture in Slovenia, and from the rich private collection of Ilona and Jurij Rihar from Škofja Loka. Together, these collections complement each other and tell a story of heritage that connects us, inspires us, and invites us to view the past from a new perspective.

The collaboration between museums and private collectors is a sign of respect for all forms of cultural heritage preservation. Collections formed in homes and workshops, built with a great deal of personal involvement, knowledge, and love, are a valuable part of the broader story that museums research, document, and present to the public. The shared goal is to preserve the legacy of bentwood furniture, to reveal its historical, aesthetic, and technical value, and to bring it closer to the present day. In this spirit of collaboration, under the motto #connectingthroughhistory, we want to emphasize that heritage lives on when we live it together – experts, collectors, restorers, visitors.

The history of the Thonet furniture collection in Kamnik dates back to the 1960s, when engineer Franc Možek, in cooperation with the furniture company Stol Kamnik, initiated the collection. At that time, the museum published newspaper ads encouraging the public to donate or sell furniture; the factory restored the pieces and sometimes exchanged them for new ones. The collection grew quickly and today includes more than one hundred items by various manufacturers, including rare technical tools, prototypes, and catalogs. It is one of the most important collections of its kind in the European context.

The private collection of Ilona and Jurij Rihar began to take shape in the 1980s, when they restored a damaged Thonet bench and embarked on a long journey of collecting and restoration. Jurij comes from a family of carpenters—he inherited a deep understanding of wood and developed his skills independently. Today, the collection includes more than 250 pieces, each the result of precise handwork: disassembling, bending replacement parts, sanding, varnishing, and reassembling. Of particular value are the handwoven rattan seats, which Jurij creates using original patterns, passing on this rare craft in collaboration with his family. Each item in the collection carries its own story—not only of its making, but also of its use and the people who once used it.

The joint presentation of both collections is an expression of collaboration, respect, and the awareness that heritage is not merely a relic of the past but a bridge to the future. Bentwood furniture is not only an example of technical and design excellence, but also a symbol of connection between people, places, and generations. Thonet furniture is our shared heritage – vibrant, multifaceted, and still inspiring.

#connectingthroughhistory #thonetfurniture