Side table Marcel Kammerer Thonet ca. 1905
Side table, Marcel Kammerer, Gebrüder Thonet Vienna, mod.no. 8040, circa 1905, bentwood and brass, original label
Description
With Vienna’s Postsparkasse, Otto Wagner realized his groundbreaking idea of a modern, functional building. His student, Marcel Kammerer, worked for several years as chief art director in Wagner’s studio and designed plenty of the furniture for the Postsparkasse, including this small table.
The table was first shown in 1905 in Thonet’s sales catalogue „Thonet Zentral Anzeiger“. Its beautifully shaped curves were only made possible by the then innovative bentwood technique. According to the postulat of the Otto Wagner School, all elements in this design follow a function. For example, the visible brass rivets and horizontal brass rods serve to stabilize the table while adorning it. Likewise, brass shoes on the feet protect against bumping and equally serve as ornamental elements. With this side table, Marcel Kammerer contributed a truly iconic piece to Viennese Modernism. This furniture, produced by Thonet, can be considered a classic of Jugendstil interior design.
Execution
Like no other company name, Thonet stands for Viennese Jugendstil bentwood furniture. The "Wiener Kaffeehausstuhl” (Viennese coffee house chair) from 1859 with the model number 14 has even made it into design history as a furniture icon. Michael Thonet (Boppard 1796 - 1871 Vienna), founder of the Gebrüder Thonet company, ensured its success by securing a patent in for the production of bentwood in 1842. Until the 1860s, he and his sons had a de facto monopoly on this innovative technique of bending wood under the effect of steam to make chairs and other furnishings. Bentwood technology had revolutionized European furniture design in the 19th century, as it enabled the development from handcrafted carpentry to industrial-serial production. Thonet managed this leap from manufacture to industrial serial production while maintaining high quality standards. Aesthetically at the cutting edge, Thonet commissioned renowned contemporary architects to design furniture, such as Otto Wagner, Josef Hoffmann, Marcel Kammerer and Otto Prutscher. Thonet's modern furnishings have been presented at many international exhibitions in Europe and overseas and have received many awards. The company owes its great commercial success to its dense distribution network with branches in all major European cities. In 1922, Thonet merged with the Mundus company, which had already acquired the company J. &. J. Kohn in 1914.
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