A Rare Pair of Unrestored J & J Kohn Bentwood Koloman Moser Chairs Circa1910

PRE - CHRISTMAS SALE - 25% OFF In General A stylish and rare set of two unrestored J & J Kohn Bentwood, Vienna Secession chairs to J & J Kohn design number 327 by Koloman Moser (1868-1918) circa 1910. You can see these advertised on page 18 in the J & J Kohn catalogue for 1910/11 although we think this design was also available in earlier years and was probably originally sold in or around 1903. Jacob & Josef Kohn of Vienna : catalogue, 1911-1912 : Jacob & Josef Kohn (Firm), issuing body : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive The chairs have Beech wood bentwood frames with plywood seat and back rest - walnut stained. We have kept these two chairs together as they are clearly a pair but with different upholstery on the drop-in seats. Due both to the striking Art Nouveau style and design of the beautiful chevron/feathered upholstery fabric in colours ranging from powder blue and pink to orange and green and the way it is shaped to the canvas and the distinctive shape of the chair, we think that this material  is quite likely original to the chair.  Clearly, this would make it over 100 years old which must be unusual to have survived in this excellent condition. It seems that the material on the second chair may possibly have been damaged (which often happens) or someone in the past wanted it with a different upholstery and this was replaced with needlepoint. So we have decided to change neither material and leave the chairs as they are in unrestored condition so that purchasers can make their own decision as to what they would like to do. As is well known, once the material has been taken off, it cannot properly be put on again. The Vienna Secession was a progressive alliance of artists and designers founded originally in 1897 and including the Vienna architects Otto Wagner and Josef Hoffman, the painter Gustav Klimt and Vienna artist and designer Koloman Moser. In 1903, out of this movement, Josef Hoffman and Kolomon Moser with financial backing from industrialist Fritz Warndorfer together created the Vienna Werkstatte (Vienna Workshop). This was a production association in Vienna that brought together designers, architects, artists and artisans working in furniture, ceramics, enamel and other metalwork and various other creative disciplines including glass and jewellery. Subsequently seen as a world-class pioneer of “modern design”, its influence can be seen in various styles for example Art Deco and Bauhaus. J & J Kohn were a business originally set up in 1849 by father and son Jakob and Josef Kohn with the motto “Be one step ahead”. They made modern furniture out of Austrian beech. Just after the turn of the 20th century, they started working closely with the Wiener Werkstatte. Through this partnership, J. & J. Kohn produced an array of furniture in bentwood (originally invented by Michael Thonet), cane and upholstery. It sold this 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. Their extensive catalogue shows a large number of interesting designs of which these chairs are notable examples. NOTE: This design number 327 has been attributed to both Kolomon Moser and Gustav Siegel. Both were eminent designers who designed for J & J Kohn (who do not appear to have attributed specific designs to specific designers) and both were part of the Secessionist movement. The chairs were sold to us as by Gustav Siegel but we feel they are more likely to have been designed by Kolomon Moser – as all references to design number 327 state that the designer was Kolomon Moser not Gustav Siegel. Also, Kolomon Moser also designed many upholstery fabrics which so far as we are aware Gustav Siegel did not. Gustav Siegel was however a sometimes unacknowledged master of the bentwood technique. [if anyone has any further information on Design Number 327, we would be delighted to hear it] Maker J & J Kohn Bentwood, Vienna Secession chairs to J & J Kohn design number 327 by Koloman Moser (1868-1918) Mark Label on the underside of each chair stamped 'JJ Kohn Teschen Austria' Year Circa 1910 Material Beech wood Condition The chairs are sturdy and in good condition with no structural problems, breakages or restoration, but with normal wear for chairs over 100 years old. There are some light scratches, areas of staining loss, a small area of wood loss on one of the chair arrow backs and the odd small dink. The padded drop in seats are in poor condition. The chevron / feathered fabric is worn with stitching loss in places revealing its canvas backing below. The front corners are well-worn. its wooden frame is solid. The needle point drop in seat is stained and its wooden frame has partially pulled apart and is not solid. Dimensions ( L x W x H ) Length front - 43 cm or 16.92 inches  Length back - 35 cm or 13.78 inches  Depth - 44 cm or 17.32 inches  Height - 93 cm or 36.61 inches  Height to top of seat - 47 cm or 18.50 inches  Height to underside of seat - 42 cm or 16.53 inches  Shipping We use trusted couriers in the UK and across the World. Purchases are very carefully wrapped and packed using high quality packing materials. Shipments are fully insured and sent at the risk of Chapman Pugh Ltd. Please be aware that there maybe customs and/or tax payments due on the parcels arrival in the buyers country. This varies from country to country. Any additional customs and/or tax payments are the responsibility of the buyer. FREE SHIPPING IN UK ALL SHIPPING COSTS ARE REFUNDED IF LESS THAN STATED BELOW: Shipping Costs: United Kingdom FREE Central Europe estimated £125.00 Eastern Europe estimated £125.00 United States estimated £560.00 All Other Zones estimated £275.00