Beech, plywood, dark brown stained, oil on tin
Austria, 1910
Design: J. & J. Kohn, Vienna - Austrian-Hungarian bentwood manufactory
Under the seat with old label and stamped ‘Jacob & Josef Kohn, Wien, Austria’, dating 1911 and model number ‘31 V’
Dimensions Chair: 100 x 44 x 41.5 cm (HxWxD); Seat height: 46.5 cm
Dimensions Painting: 47 x 72 cm
Good Condition
The enclosed oil painting with interior scenery shows the present bentwood chair, which originally used to stand in an old German wine bar in Spittal an der Drau

This charming coffee house chair used to stand in an old German wine bar in Spittal an der Drau. The guest house was built by Martin Ladinig from 1900 to 1902, the interior was designed in 1929 by Johann Rotschopof, Franz Sommeregger and Guido Zernatto the Elder. Each room is decorated in the style of late historicism such as Neo-Gothic, Neo-Renaissance and neo-Baroque. This chair used to be located in one of the rooms, which is shown in the enclosed oil painting, perhaps an old sign that should attract people to visit the inn. The bentwood chair by the well-known company J. & J. Kohn was designed with a charming wit, its backrest with the heart-shaped holes is reminiscent of the corsage of Alpine costumes.

The chair is provided below the seat with a label and stamped ‘Jacob & Josef Kohn, Wien, Austria’ as well as dated 1911 and model number ‘31 V’. Chair and painting are in good condition with minor signs of age and wear. The chair is 100 cm high and measures 44 x 41.5 cm. The painting measures 72 x 47 cm.

Jakob & Josef Kohn

Jacob Kohn (1791–1866) founded his company together with his son Josef (1814–1884) in 1849. They produced wooden components and soon began producing bentwood. They opened production centers in Bohemia, Krakow and Russia and already in 1900 more than 6300 workers were busy producing more than 5500 pieces of furniture each day. Thanks to the cooperation with such renowned artists as Josef Hoffmann, Otto Wagner, Adolf Loos and Gustav Siegel, the company soon made a name for itself as the producer of fashionable and modern furniture. They received many awards, gold medals and even medals from Austria, Spain, Belgium and Russia. The company merged with the Mundus AG in 1914 that also produced for Thonet (Thonet-Kohn-Mundus). Pieces of furniture by Kohn can today be seen in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, in the Musée d’Orsay in Paris as well as in the Museum for applied art, the MAK Vienna. (cru)

Shipping costs excl. statutory VAT and plus 2,5% (+VAT) shipping insurance.