Hoffmann Coat and Hat stand

Coat and hat stand
Designed around 1900, Vienna
Made by Thonet Brothers (label)
Mahogany stained beechwood
Metal insert
Height: 81 inches (6 feet 9 inches)
Diameter 25 inches
Base: 19 × 19 inches

Lit.: Jiri Uhlir, Sempre Sursum, Jacob & Josef Kohn, Brno, 2005, p.74
Josef Hoffmann, Fort Worth Museum catalogue
Gebogened Holz, Konstruktive Entweurfe Wien 1840-1910, Kuenstlerhaus, Wien, 1979, Exhibition Catalogue, no. 34
Derek Ostergarddd, Bent Wood and Metal Furniture, 1850-1946, NY 1987, p.44
Thonet Catalogue 1911 & 1915, reprint Vienna 1994, fig.p. 186, no.10.414

Josef Hoffmann designed this coat rack around 1900. The four square bentwood poles supported by a square base define a three-dimensional space in an architectonic manner. This piece reveals a geometric transformation from the rectangular base to the circular structure on the top. This transformation from square to circle reveals the subtle play of form evident in Josef Hoffmann’s early work (such as Sitzmaschine). The square grid reinforces the geometric aesthetic, serving as umbrella support together with the metal insert on the bottom.