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a cardboard box with a blue and white logo on it
Jeschke Jádi Auctions Berlin

961 - Design Thonet-Mundus. Bielsko (catalogue).
See original version (German)

Estimate €240 - €360
Sale commission
Description
Design Thonet-Mundus. Bielsko (catalogue). Warsaw: c. 1930. Original paperback. 81 pp. (with numerous pagination errors), plus a separate price list. Landscape format. 4° crease and tear on the spine of the cover. Owner’s stamp. Loose. A rare company catalogue by Thonet-Mundus for bentwood furniture from the Bielsko (Bielitz) factory, published in Warsaw for the Polish market and thus an interesting item of Polonica. The Thonet-Mundus company was formed in the 1920s through the merger of the former competitors Thonet, Mundus and Kohn, and was one of the world’s largest furniture manufacturers during the interwar period. As a sample book, the catalogue documents models, finishes and prices of the company’s seating furniture production. For the history of furniture, it serves as an important reference for identifying and dating unsigned pieces. The accompanying price list, which has been preserved separately, enhances the catalogue’s value as a source, as such ephemera were often separated from the main catalogue and subsequently lost. The cover features a purely typographic design. The lettering ‘THONET’ in blue block capitals frames the central panel featuring the stylised chair logo. This typography, printed in a single colour, lies between Art Deco and New Objectivity and is revealing for the design history of the period. The numerous pagination errors are due to the production process and do not indicate that the catalogue is incomplete; nevertheless, collation is recommended. The red owner’s stamp ‘Antoni Zylinski’ on the cover is of interest as a mark of provenance. Company catalogues of this kind serve as a reference for model numbers, finishes and prices. They are indispensable for dating and attributing bentwood furniture. This is particularly true of pieces without labels, which can often only be identified via catalogue illustrations. The enclosed price list enhances the catalogue’s value as a source, as price lists were frequently separated from the main catalogue and lost. The catalogue also documents the company’s Polish production. Bielsko-Biała was a major Thonet-Mundus site in Poland, and a collective share certificate for the ‘Polish Thonet-Mundus Bentwood Furniture Factories’ is documented there from 1934. Thonet-Mundus. Bielsko (Catalogue). Warsaw: c. 1930. Original paper wrappers. 81 pp. (with numerous misnumbered pages), with a separate price list. Oblong format. 4to. Fold and tear along the spine of the cover. Ownership stamps. Loose. A rare company catalogue of Thonet-Mundus for bentwood furniture from the Bielsko (Bielitz) factory, published in Warsaw for the Polish market and therefore an interesting item of Polonica. Thonet-Mundus was formed in the 1920s through the merger of the former competitors Thonet, Mundus and Kohn. During the interwar period, it was one of the largest furniture manufacturers in the world. As a pattern book, the catalogue documents the models, finishes and prices of the company’s seating furniture range. It is an important reference for the history of furniture, helping to identify and date unsigned pieces. The accompanying price list, preserved separately, enhances the catalogue’s value as a source, as such ephemera were often separated and lost. The cover is designed purely using typography. The lettering ‘THONET’ in blue block capitals frames the central panel featuring the stylised chair emblem. This typography, printed in a single colour, lies between Art Deco and Neue Sachlichkeit (New Objectivity) and is revealing for the design history of the period. The numerous misnumbered pages are a result of the production process and do not indicate that the catalogue is incomplete, although a collation is recommended. The red ownership stamp ‘Antoni Zylinski’ on the cover is of interest as a mark of provenance. Company catalogues of this kind serve as a reference for model numbers, finishes and prices. They are indispensable for dating and attributing bentwood furniture. This applies particularly to pieces without labels, which can often be identified only through catalogue illustrations. The catalogue also documents the company’s Polish production. Bielsko-Biała was an important Thonet-Mundus site in Poland, and a collective share certificate This lot is subject to standard taxation. A 24.95% buyer’s premium is payable on the hammer price, and 7% (Books and Art) or 19% VAT (Manuscripts, Screenprints, Offset Prints, Photographs) is payable on the final invoice amount within the European Union. This lot is subject to the standard tax regime. A 24.95% buyer’s premium applies to the hammer price, and 7% (books and art) or 19% VAT (manuscripts, screen prints, offset prints and photographs) applies to the final invoice amount within the European Union.
See original version (German)
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About the sale Valuable books, prints, historical photographs
Auction location
Auction time 10/24/2026 at 10:00 AM
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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