Josef Hoffmann Nesting tables J.& J. Kohn ca. 1906

1905 was one of the crucial years for the Wiener Werkstatte. That year Josef Hoffmann and Koloman Moser created some of their most iconic designs. The leitmotif of this artistic period was the reduction of form in favor of functionality. This set designed by Josef Hoffmann in 1905 and consisting of four nesting tables with vertical rods, perfectly embodies this principle. A strong influence of design elements from the model “Fledermaus” can be found most notably in the horseshoe-shaped base. Hoffmann combined curved forms in the horizontal plane with a straight shape in the vertical, which lends the design a particular tension. On the underside of the smallest table remainings of the original company label tan be still found.