Jacob & Josef Kohn Wien #18, 1/2 design

While the first name that comes to mind when thinking of bentwood furniture might be Thonet (maker of the iconic Thonet No. 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. & J. Kohn).

Founded 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. At the turn of the 20th century, after establishing itself with mastery of everything from chairs to coatracks and even doll furniture, J. & J. 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). Through this partnership, J. & J. Kohn produced an array of furniture in bentwood, cane and upholstery, which it sold through showrooms across Europe and North America. Its designs throughout the first decade of the 20th century reflect the Art Nouveau movement that was quickly gaining traction across Europe.

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. The new conglomerate went on to produce examples of its bentwood furniture in keeping with the modern style of the Vienna Secession. While Thonet rebuilt, rebranded and expanded in the United States and elsewhere after World War II, J. & J. Kohn never produced furniture under that name again.

Find a variety of J. & J. Kohn furniture — including bentwood wingback chairs designed by Josef Hoffmann, beech nesting tables and more — at 1stDibs.

Roman Erlikh is a professional woodworker with over 20 years’ experience. Roman Erlikh Studio creates bespoke and limited edition contemporary furniture and art objects. His first furniture collections were inspired by traditional Art Deco and Biedermeier styles interpreted through a modern lifestyle demands. Stepping away from merely utilitarian view of everyday objects, his recent collections are filled with meaningful textual context while incorporating traditional and modern woodworking techniques. Roman is using practical function as a common denominator to create emotionally charged art objects, blurring the boundary between art and function. While appreciating possibilities of ordinary materials, Roman is developing new mixed media multilayered composite varnishes and utilizes decorative gilding and mica veneer to actively engage ambient light, giving an additional aspect to relation of his objects to their environment. The decision to work in custom format was based on environmental concerns and opposition to culture of mass production and pure consumerism. The choice of materials was heavily influenced by sustainability and environmental concerns. All objects are made locally in the Brooklyn Navy Yard workshop. Elimination of storage and transportation needs for mass-produced furniture in lieu of creating a custom made objects on demand allows us to reduce waste of materials and energy.