bentwood

thumb|150px|No. 14 chair thumb|Cradle by Gebrüder Thonet (ca. 1870) Bentwood objects are made by wetting wood (either by soaking or by steaming), then bending it and letting it harden into curved shapes and patterns.

Furniture-makers often use this method in the production of rocking chairs, cafe chairs, and other light furniture. The iconic No. 14 chair (also known as the "Vienna chair"), developed in the 1850s in the Austrian Empire by Thonet, is a well-known design based on the technique. The process is in widespread use for making casual and informal furniture of all types, particularly seating and table forms. It is also a popular technique in the worldwide production of furniture with frames made of heavy cane, which is commonly imported into European and Western shops.