100 years of B 9

Thonet and Naef mark milestone with anniversary edition

100 years of Bauhaus | 100 years of B 9
 

Simplicity, function, form – the defining characteristics of modernism can be found in furniture design as well as in board games. To mark the 100th anniversary of the Bauhaus in Dessau and the B 9 chair by Marcel Breuer, Thonet and Swiss toy manufacturer Naef have teamed up to create something very special. Their anniversary set consists of the B 9 a and B 9 b nesting tables paired with a Bauhaus chess set designed by Josef Hartwig. Limited to just 100 sets, this special edition brings the Bauhaus ideas to life in a very tangible way. 

Originally conceptualised as a stool, the B 9 nesting table set was one of the very first tubular steel furniture designs and heralded the beginning of an entirely new design language that brought lightness and functionality into home interiors. With its simple, minimalist design and the option to stack the tables to save space, the B 9 was and remains the embodiment of the Bauhaus concepts of practical beauty and modern living spaces.

The chess figures created at the Bauhaus in 1923 by sculptor Josef Hartwig are also a direct expression of this approach. Their geometric shapes represent how each piece can move across the board, helping players to play more intuitively. Rather than relying on a decorative approach, this chess set focuses on functionality and a visualisation of the rules of the game itself. Today, Hartwig’s chess pieces are still being produced by the Swiss company Naef, which has been manufacturing high-quality wooden toys since 1954.

In this collector’s edition, limited to 100 sets, the furniture and the chess set combine to tell the story of a movement that began 100 years ago and continues to influence design, art and our cultural heritage to this day.