Table J&J Kohn Nr.7, circa 1900
View Similar Items
Table J&J Kohn Nr.7, circa 1900
About the Item
- Creator:Michael Thonet (Designer),Jacob & Josef Kohn (Manufacturer)
- Dimensions:Height: 31.11 in (79 cm)Diameter: 20.87 in (53 cm)
- Style:Art Nouveau (In the Style Of)
- Materials and Techniques:
- Place of Origin:
- Period:
- Date of Manufacture:1900
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Praha, CZ
- Reference Number:Seller: Thonetky1stDibs: LU245639533541
Michael Thonet
The development of bentwood for use in furniture is one of history’s most significant innovations in design. A range of renowned mid-century modern designers such as Alvar Aalto, Arne Jacobsen, and Charles and Ray Eames drew heavily on this technological advancement, and the success of their enduring works owes to the efforts of pioneering German-Austrian industrialist and designer Michael Thonet — founder of Thonet and widely considered the father of bentwood furniture.
Bentwood furniture dates as far back as the Middle Ages, but it is the 19th-century cabinetmaker and master of parquetry Michael Thonet who is most often associated with this now-classic technique. Thonet in 1856 patented a method for bending solid wood through the use of steam, and from there, the bentwood look skyrocketed to furniture fame. He experimented with bending birch rods into rounded shapes — forming delicately seductive, curving Art Nouveau creations that were a daring departure from the heavy, hand-carved designs attributed to his contemporaries.
The Boppard-born Thonet honed his carpentry skills in his father’s workshop, where he carried out experiments with plywood and modified the Biedermeier chairs that populated the studio. He received an invitation from Austrian Chancellor Prince Metternich to contribute Neo-Rococo interiors to the Liechtenstein City Palace in Vienna. From there, the cabinetmaker gained international recognition, including at London’s Great Exhibition of 1851, which featured works created by members of the Arts and Crafts movement as well as industrial products. Thonet showed a range of furniture at the fair and won the bronze medal for his bentwood chairs. He incorporated his family’s company, the Thonet Brothers — or Gebrüder Thonet — with his sons in 1853.
Considered the world’s oldest mass-produced chair, Michael Thonet’s ubiquitous Chair No. 14 demonstrated that his patented bentwood technology made it possible to efficiently produce furniture on an industrial scale.
Often called the Coffee House chair — the company’s first substantial order was for a Viennese coffeehouse — the No. 14 remains an icon. Thonet originally designed the chair in 1859, and it is considered the starting point for modern furniture. Composed of just six parts, the chair, with its simple, lightweight design, belies its durability. The No. 14 was followed by the No. 18, or the Bistro chair, in 1867, and the 209, or the Architect’s chair, of which Le Corbusier was a fan. (The influential Swiss-French architect and designer used Thonet furniture in his Pavillon de l’Esprit Nouveau at the 1925 International Exposition of Decorative Arts in Paris.)
The business began mass-producing furniture. By the end of the 1850s, there were additional Thonet workshops in Eastern Europe and hundreds of employees. Michael Thonet’s reputation attracted the attention of notable architects including Otto Wagner, Marcel Breuer and Ludwig Mies van der Rohe.
Thonet’s patented bentwood technology also yielded an improvement to rocking chairs for his company — in the middle of the 19th century, Michael produced a series of rockers in which the different curved parts were integrated into fluid, sinuous wholes. Thanks to Thonet, the humble rocker acquired something unexpected: style. And bentwood furniture was embraced by a series of design greats — the innovation can be found in the seating that Josef Hoffman designed for Thonet, in the elegant Superleggera chair created by Gio Ponti and Alvar Aalto’s expressive Paimio armchair.
The No. 14 chair earned a gold medal at the 1867 Paris World’s Fair and reportedly sold 50 million copies prior to World War I. Today it’s a staple furnishing in countless movies, television shows, restaurants, bars and homes.
On 1stDibs, find an array of antique Michael Thonet seating, tables and more.
Jacob & Josef Kohn
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. Changes in the organizational structure of Thonet included a merger with Viennese company Mundus in the early 20th century, which followed Mundus’s becoming a majority stakeholder in J. & J. Kohn — these mergers yielded the formation of Mundus-Kohn and later, in 1922–23, Thonet-Mundus. 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.
On 1stDibs, find a variety of antique J. & J. Kohn furniture including bentwood wingback chairs designed by Josef Hoffmann and other seating, side tables, beech nesting tables and more.
- Rare Early Flower Table J & J Kohn Nr.2By Jacob & Josef Kohn, Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZA museum piece in its original state, the only one we know (the oldest possible variant of the product). Only perfectly cleaned, treated against woodworm by injecting chemistry, and ...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Tables
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
$1,319 Sale Price20% Off - Thonet table Nr.221By Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZSolid and compact. In original condition with a beautiful patina of age. Perfectly cleaned and polished with shellac.Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Serving Tables
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Office Armchair J&J Kohn Nr.704, circa 1900By Jacob & Josef KohnLocated in Praha, CZOriginal state with a pleasant patine of age, perfectly cleaned and re-polished with shelack finish.Category
Early 20th Century Austrian Belle Époque Armchairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Viennese Sofa Jacob & Josef Kohn Nr.4, circa 1875By Jacob & Josef Kohn, Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZManufactured in Austria by the Jacob & Josef Kohn company. Marked with very old type of paper label. Newly restored.Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Belle Époque Sofas
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- Viennese Chair J&J Kohn Nr.27, since 1877By Jacob & Josef Kohn, Michael ThonetLocated in Praha, CZA museum piece with a beautiful patina of old age. Perfectly cleaned and finely polished with shellac. New seat string.Category
Antique 1870s Austrian Art Nouveau Chairs
MaterialsBeech, Bentwood
- 1910s Office Armchair J&J Kohn Nr.704 and Side/Coffe Table, CzechoslovakiaBy Jacob & Josef KohnLocated in Praha, CZ- Carefully refurbished and finished with shellac - Chair is labeled by producer - Table Diameter: 72 x 68.Category
Vintage 1910s Czech Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWood
- Cabaret Fledermaus Josef Hoffmann table by Jacob6Josef Kohn 1905By Josef Hoffmann, Jacob & Josef Kohn, Woka LampsLocated in Vienna, ATAn extraordinary modern table from the early phase of industrial design. The bent-wood-industry has had enormous progress since mid 19. century and from 1900, they started a fruitful...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Jugendstil Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsBentwood
- Josef Hoffmann, Oval side table nr. 960/2 for J.J. Kohn. Austria ca. 1905By Josef HoffmannLocated in Argelato, BOBentwood side table by Josef Hoffmann, 1905 circa. Designed by the great Austrian designer and also founder of the famous "Wiener Werkstaette" - Josef Hoffmann, this oval beechwood s...Category
Antique Early 1900s Austrian Art Nouveau Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsBeech
- Empire Style Card or Tea Table, Vienna 1880-1900Located in Belmont, MAThis unique card or tea table dates back to around 1880-1900 and comes from Vienna. It has an elegant mahogany veneer and gorgeous bronze fittings. The small table has a fold out top...Category
Antique 1880s Austrian Empire Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsMahogany
- Mahogany Jugendstil Table Circa 1900Located in New York, NYAn elegant side table exemplifying the Scandinavian interpretation of Art Nouveau, with an circular cut lower shelf, which is mounted on slim, stiletto legs.Category
Antique Early 1900s Swedish Jugendstil Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsMahogany
- Thonet Bentwood Cafe Table, circa 1900By ThonetLocated in Sharon, CTAn Austrian bentwood table designed and manufactured by Thonet, circa 1900. Black legs with a natural surface to the tabletop. Measures: Height...Category
Antique Late 19th Century Austrian Art Nouveau Card Tables and Tea Tables
MaterialsBentwood
- Round Walnut Three Feet Italian Coffee Table, circa 1950Located in Rome, ITLarge round coffee table, 1950 three feet, high top thickness walnut very good original condition Measures: diameter 70 cm, height 43.Category
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Coffee and Cocktail Tables
MaterialsWalnut