Jacob & Josef Kohn. Rockers, 19th century

Pair of rockers JACOB & JOSEF KOHN. Austria, second half of the 19th century.
Beech wood.
Exhibits wear consistent with age and use. Active xylophages.
With remains of labels.
Measurements: 105 x 55 x 92 cm.

The legs and armrests of this pair of rockers consist of a single curved structure of organic inspiration. The backrests, on the other hand, are based on a play of straight and openwork shapes. They were manufactured by the company J & J Kohn, created by Jacob Kohn (1791-1868) and his son Josef (1814-1884) in 1867 in Wsetin (Moravia), in the territory of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Kohn challenged the privilege of exclusive production of bent furniture held by Thonet, its creator, since 1856; a privilege that, in view of a negative ruling by the authorities, Thonet did not attempt to renew. Kohn soon became a strong competitor in the bent beech wood sector, in which it is a historical benchmark alongside the Thonet brothers. The firm's early prominence was evidenced by its highly acclaimed participation in the Vienna World Exhibition of 1873. Since then, Jacob &Josef Kohn exhibited its pieces at the expositions of Philadelphia (1876), Paris (1878, silver medal), Barcelona (1888), Glasgow (1901), Turin (1902), St. Louis (1904), Milan, London and Bucharest (1906) and Buenos Aires and Munich (1910). She was also awarded the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris Universal Exposition. Kohn associated with renowned architects and designers of the time, making designs for her Otto Wagner, Josef Hoffmann, Koloman Moser and Hans Prutscher. After a first stage dedicated to the production of curved chairs in the Thonet line, the company developed, during the eighties, an extensive historicist production. With the turn of the century came the stylistic evolution, focusing since then on new trends in the decorative arts. In this sense, the chair that Adolf Loos (1870-1933) designed for Kohn in 1899, destined for the Café Museum in Vienna, stands out as the main reference. Today, works by Jacob & Josef Kohn are kept in museums and institutions around the world, such as the Museum of Modern Art in New York or the Orsay Museum in Paris.