6 MR 10 Mies van der Rohe chairs for Thonet

• Set of 6 tubular steel chairs, MR10 model, designed by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe
• Early Thonet edition, circa 1960, identifiable by the beige canvas under the seat and the quality of craftsmanship
• Leathers cleaned and progressively nourished to preserve their suppleness and patina
• H 84 to 86 cm × D 67 cm × W 50 cm × Seat H 41 cm (2 chairs slightly lower at the backrest, normal wear)
• Normal signs of use on the seats and under the structures (see photos)

Set of 6 MR10 chairs by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Thonet

The MR10 chair, also referenced as S533, was designed in the late 1920s by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe for Thonet. It belongs to the series of cantilever chairs developed during this period, amidst research into tubular steel. Inspired by Mart Stam’s initial experimental principles, Mies offered a more fluid and structured interpretation, where the steel tube forms a continuous line ensuring stability, flexibility, and visual lightness.

Trained by Peter Behrens and later director of the Bauhaus from 1930, Mies van der Rohe established himself as a major figure of modernism. His architectural approach, based on structural clarity and reduction of forms, is directly reflected in his furniture. The MR series, presented in 1927 at the Weissenhof Exhibition in Stuttgart, is an emblematic expression of this.

The MR10 combines a bent tubular steel structure with a stretched leather seat and backrest. The cantilever principle creates a characteristic spring effect, offering flexible comfort without the need for mechanical elements. The design rests on a precise balance between technical constraint and formal legibility.

This set of 6 chairs fully illustrates Mies van der Rohe’s ability to transform a constructive innovation into an aesthetic language. A fundamental model of 20th-century design, still sought after for its coherence and modernity.