Armchair by Josef Hoffmann for J. & J. Kohn, 1905

About This Piece

Vintage Design

Viennese Jugendstil armchair, design Josef Hoffmann, manufactured by J. & J. Kohn Vienna, mod. no. 720, ca. 1905, bent beechwood, brass, leather The producer of bentwood furniture, J.&J. Kohn, commissioned the most innovative architects of the time with designs for their elegant furnishings. Josef Hoffmann designed this armchair in 1901, and the very next year it appeared on a Kohn-advertisement in the catalog of the 15th Vienna Secession Exhibition. In its illustrious exhibition history, this beautifully designed piece of furniture was also presented at the 1904 World’s Fair in St. Louis, USA. Hoffmann based his modern interpretation of a Fauteuil on the curved shape of a horseshoe. Using all the possibilities of bentwood technology, the back was seamlessly formed from a curved shell. with the compact sheathing, Hoffmann lends the armchair a certain formal touch without foregoing decorative elements. The visibly arranged brass rivets and polished brass feet, for example, soften the formal austerity. Ergonomic details, such as the slightly inclined armrests, also attest to Hoffmann’s thoughtful approach to the model. with this overall very harmonious looking Fauteuil, Hoffmann designed a timeless modern classic, which contributed to J.&J. Kohn’s international success. Bib.: Giovanni Renzi, Il mobile moderno, Silvana Editoriale Spa, Milano 2008, p. 70-71; comp. Magazine “Das Interieur” vol. XIII, illustration 31, contemporary photographs of the International exhibition Buenos Aires 1910

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Creator	Josef Hoffmann
Design Period	1890 to 1919
Year	1905
Production Period	1890 to 1919
Country of Manufacture	Austria
Identifying Marks	This piece has been attributed based on archival documentation, such as vintage catalogs, designer records, or other literature sources
Style	Vintage, Antique
Detailed Condition	Excellent — This vintage/antique piece is in near original condition. It may show minimal traces of use and/or have slight restorations.
Product Code	TJY-1477009
Materials	Beech, Brass, Leather
Color	Brown, gold, ivory
Width	63 cm 63 cm
Depth	61 cm 61 cm
Height	80 cm 80 cm
Weight Range	Standard — Between 40kg and 80kg

Shipping & Delivery

Ships from	Austria
Returns	Returns accepted within fourteen days of delivery, except for Made-to-order items

Sustainability

Carbon Neutral	For every purchase made, Pamono offsets 100% of estimated carbon emissions from global shipping.
Vintage	Choosing vintage and antique furniture reduces your carbon footprint by cutting down on waste and reduces demand for new materials and extends the life of the products we use.

Delivery Options

Front Door Delivery: (Included in Every Order)	A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below). The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time. A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection. Item will be left in its packaging after delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery.
In-Home Delivery: (For in-home delivery service, additional fees apply. Please get in touch)	A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers. The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time. A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection. Item will be left in its packaging after delivery. A signature will be required upon delivery.

Front Door Delivery:
(Included in Every Order)

A skilled driver will unload the item(s) from the delivery truck and bring it to your building’s doorstep. You will be responsible for further transport beyond that point. We recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand; alternatively, you may upgrade to In-Home Delivery (see below).
The delivery partner will email and/or call you at least one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

In-Home Delivery:
(For in-home delivery service, additional fees apply. Please get in touch)

A skilled driver or a team of two will bring your item(s) inside your home and place it in the immediate entryway. For unusually large or heavy items, we recommend asking a family member or friend for an extra hand, as we cannot send more than 2 drivers.
The delivery partner will email and/or call you one day in advance to arrange a delivery time.
A wooden crate may be used for intercontinental shipments for maximum protection.
Item will be left in its packaging after delivery.
A signature will be required upon delivery.

*Important Note

Please examine every order upon delivery. In the event that there are visible signs of damage or missing or incorrect pieces, please indicate the problem on the Delivery Note and contact us within 48 hours of delivery. A signed delivery receipt without notations of missing, damaged, or incorrect item(s) represents your acceptance of the complete order in perfect condition.

About the Creator

Josef Hoffmann

Architect-designer Josef Hoffmann was born in 1870 in Prinitz, Moravia (now Brtnice, the Czech Republic). He studied architecture at the Senior State Commercial and Technical School in Brünn (now Brno, Czech Republic). After a year of practice in Würzburg, Germany, he moved to Vienna, the city where he would remain for the rest of his life. He enrolled in the Academy of Fine Arts there, and, between 1892 and 1895, studied under both Karl von Hasenauer and Otto Wagner. From 1896 to 1897, he worked in Wagner’s Vienna studio. He also became one of the founding members of the Vienna Secession, a group of artists (including Gustav Klimt, Carl Moll, and others) who favored a modern, experimental approach to the arts. Hoffman’s contributions to several Secession exhibition installations, all influenced by the Art Nouveau-Jugendstil style, helped establish his name. In 1899, he was appointed a professor at Vienna’s Kunstgewerbeschule, a position he held until his retirement in 1936. He taught in the school’s architecture, metalwork, enamel, and applied art departments.

Around 1900, Hoffmann became a proponent of the Gesamtkunstwerk (or total work of art) approach, exemplified through unified architecture and interior design, with an emphasis on craftsmanship. He was cofounder and co-artistic director, alongside Koloman Moser, for the new Wiener Werkstätte (Vienna Workshops) beginning in 1903. In 1905, he left the Secession, and received the commission to design the Palais Stoclet in Brussels. Completed in 1911, the Stoclet was arguably Hoffmann’s most important architectural project.

Throughout his prolific 50-year career, Hoffmann designed everything from textiles to furniture, fashion, jewelry, exhibitions, and buildings for prestigious clients like Lobmeyr and Lötz. Later in his life, he focused primarily on housing projects. Aesthetically, his work evolved from Jugendstil to more minimal, geometric forms and then on toward neoclassicism.

He died in Vienna in 1956.