{"meta":{"version":"2.1","_links":{"self":{"href":"https://api.vam.ac.uk/v2/object/O152574"},"collection_page":{"href":"https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O152574/"}},"images":null,"see_also":null},"record":{"systemNumber":"O152574","accessionNumber":"W.15-1974","objectType":"Hat stand","titles":[],"summaryDescription":"Bentwood furniture was first developed during the 1830s by the Austrian Michael Thonet (1796-1871).  By the 1850s he had perfected a technique of cutting, planning and steaming or soaking straight-grained beechwood logs before drying, sanding and finishing them for assembly into chairs and tables.  In 1856 Thonet was presented with the Imperial monopoly patent which lasted 13 years and saw his firm Gebruder Thonet become the largest and most successful mass-producer of furniture in history.  \r\n\r\nBy the time the patent came to an end in 1869 other Austrian manufacturers had already started building factories to produce bentwood furniture and from that point onwards the market became much more competitive.  By the 1890s bentwood furniture was a global phenomenon with more than fifty companies worldwide producing a huge variety of objects ranging from chairs and tables to prams, beds and easels.\r\n\r\nCoat stands were yet another bentwood form available to the consumer.  This example is similar in design to one illustrated in Thonet’s 1904 catalogue.  However, in the absence of any stamp or maker’s mark and given the fact that many of the firms copied each other’s designs it is difficult to attribute this model to one company in particular.","physicalDescription":"Umbrella stand of beech, heated (either steamed or hot-soaked) and bent, stained to resemble mahogany; the central pole of the stand is tenoned down into the full-width back rail with a pendant boss tenoned up through the rail underneath; a shorter rail projects forwards from the centre of the back rail, is at right angles to it and is also tenoned in; at either end of the back rail and at the front of the shorter rail there is a turned bun foot tenoned or screwed up into the underside of each;  three ogee-moulded rods in the shape of an elongated c-scroll reaching up to approximately one fifth of the total height of the stand are screwed down into the end of each rail above the feet; from here they rise upwards and inwards to the central pole where they are each screwed in with two screws approximately four inches apart, before curling outwards again into their scroll end; a semi-circular ogee-moulded rod which provides the front rail of the umbrella / stick stand is attached to the three c-scrolls with a single screw through the back of each c-scroll at the level of its fullest point; at the top of the stand there is an arrangement of four ogee-moulded rods in the shape of s-scrolls which are screwed to the central pole at the level of their lower curve; immediately below the scrolls is a small ogee-moulded semi-circular rod which is screwed up into the bottom of each s-scroll; another larger semi-circular rod of the same design is screwed down into the middle of each scroll at the point where the rod has projected away from the central pole but before it has curled round again to form the top of the s-scroll; the bottom end of each s-scroll rod terminates with a knob for hanging coats; the scrolling top of each s-scroll rod is formed thus for hanging a hat; the very top of the central pole terminates in a turned boss with a sphere at its apex.","artistMakerPerson":[{"name":{"text":"Unknown","id":"A1848"},"association":{"text":"","id":""},"note":""}],"artistMakerOrganisations":[],"artistMakerPeople":[],"materials":[{"text":"beech","id":"x30453"}],"techniques":[{"text":"heating","id":"AAT53885"},{"text":"bending","id":"AAT53101"}],"materialsAndTechniques":"Bentwood, beechwood steamed or soaked and bent","categories":[{"text":"Furniture","id":"THES48948"}],"styles":[],"collectionCode":{"text":"FWK","id":"THES48597"},"images":[],"imageResolution":"high","galleryLocations":[{"current":{"text":"001","id":"THES341943"},"free":"","case":"","shelf":"","box":""}],"partTypes":[[{"text":"Hat stand","id":""}]],"contentWarnings":[{"apprise":"","note":""}],"placesOfOrigin":[{"place":{"text":"Austria","id":"x28728"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"productionDates":[{"date":{"text":"1880-1900","earliest":"1880-01-01","latest":"1900-12-31"},"association":{"text":"made","id":"x28654"},"note":""}],"associatedObjects":[],"creditLine":"Given by Mrs. M. B. Dick","dimensions":[{"dimension":"Height","value":"212","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approximate","note":""},{"dimension":"Width","value":"70","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approximate","note":""},{"dimension":"Depth","value":"38","unit":"cm","qualifier":"","date":{"text":"","earliest":null,"latest":null},"part":"approximate","note":""}],"dimensionsNote":"","marksAndInscriptions":[],"objectHistory":"Formerly on loan to the Cecil Higgins Art Gallery, Bedford (1978-2003).\r\n","historicalContext":"","briefDescription":"Austrian, 1880-1900, bentwood, 77/1307","bibliographicReferences":[],"production":"","productionType":{"text":"","id":""},"contentDescription":"","contentPlaces":[],"associatedPlaces":[],"contentPerson":[],"associatedPerson":[],"contentOrganisations":[],"associatedOrganisations":[],"contentPeople":[],"associatedPeople":[],"contentEvents":[],"associatedEvents":[],"contentOthers":[],"contentConcepts":[],"contentLiteraryRefs":[],"galleryLabels":[],"partNumbers":["W.15-1974"],"accessionNumberNum":"15","accessionNumberPrefix":"W","accessionYear":1974,"otherNumbers":[],"copyNumber":"","aspects":["WHOLE"],"assets":[],"recordModificationDate":"2026-01-13","recordCreationDate":"2008-04-11","availableToBook":true}}