Kohn began working closely with the Wiener Werkstätte, the artisan cooperative cofounded by Austrian architect and designer Josef Hoffmann ( Gustav Klimt and Koloman Moser were also members). At the turn of the 20th century, after establishing itself with mastery of everything from chairs to coatracks and even doll furniture, J. Kohn never produced furniture under that name again.įounded in 1849 by a father and son with the motto “Be one step ahead,” Jacob & Josef Kohn created modern furniture for indoors and out from Austrian beech. While Thonet rebuilt, rebranded and expanded in the United States and elsewhere after World War II, J. The new conglomerate went on to produce examples of its bentwood furniture in keeping with the modern style of the Vienna Secession.

Price wars and mergers ensued during the first World War, and a company that Jacob & Josef Kohn had merged with became part of the world’s largest furniture manufacturer in 1923. Its designs throughout the first decade of the 20th century reflect the Art Nouveau movement that was quickly gaining traction across Europe. Kohn produced an array of furniture in bentwood, cane and upholstery, which it sold through showrooms across Europe and North America.

Kohn began working closely with the Wiener Werkstätte, the artisan cooperative cofounded by Austrian architect and designer Josef Hoffmann (Gustav Klimt and Koloman Moser were also members). Kohn).įounded in 1849 by a father and son with the motto “Be one step ahead,” Jacob & Josef Kohn created modern furniture for indoors and out from Austrian beech. 14 chair or “bistro chair”), Michael Thonet and his subsequent studio, the Gebrüder Thonet (Thonet Brothers), had a strong competitor in 19th-century Vienna: Jacob & Josef Kohn (also referred to as J. While the first name that comes to mind when thinking of bentwood furniture might be Thonet (maker of the iconic Thonet No. The sofa has a small oval piece in the center framed by two crossed bars that make curved shapes that give the piece a modernist air. 11 was presented: sofa, chair and armchair, characterized by having an oval piece -or three in the case of the sofa- meshed on the back. The first time it appeared in the catalog was in 1882, but it was not until 1885 that the entire set No. Kohn took advantage of this gap to design this rather comfortable two-seater. Although catalog number 11 corresponds to a chair by Hermanos Thonet, this house has never made an equivalent canapé with the same number. 11 is a very balanced piece in terms of aesthetics and comfort. About Within the field of curved wood sofas, Kohn's model No.

Vienna secession rebuilt