Wall Coat Rack Black Forest
Mid-20th Century European Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Iron
Antique Early 1900s Serbian Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century European Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Iron
Antique 1880s English Models and Miniatures
Wood
People Also Browsed
Antique 19th Century French Coat Racks and Stands
Iron
Mid-20th Century French Art Deco Coat Racks and Stands
Iron
Vintage 1960s Country Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Modern Coat Racks and Stands
Steel
2010s Hungarian Country Shelves
Pine
Mid-20th Century French Other Coat Racks and Stands
Iron
Early 20th Century French French Provincial Coat Racks and Stands
Iron
Early 20th Century European Arts and Crafts Coat Racks and Stands
Bronze
20th Century Russian Coat Racks and Stands
Metal
Antique 1860s French Napoleon III Coat Racks and Stands
Crystal
Antique 19th Century French Decorative Art
Wood
Antique Early 1900s French Art Nouveau Coat Racks and Stands
Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Modern Coat Racks and Stands
Iron
Vintage 1960s Thai Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Organic Modern Decorative Art
Pine, Wood
Antique Mid-18th Century French Decorative Art
Oak
Recent Sales
Antique 1890s Swiss Victorian Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century French Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Brass
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Antler, Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Glass, Wood
Vintage 1930s German Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Metal
Antique 19th Century Swiss Coat Racks and Stands
Oak
Early 20th Century French Black Forest Hat Racks and Stands
Horn, Walnut
Vintage 1920s German Black Forest Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Decorative Art
Antler
Antique 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Metal
Antique 1890s Swiss Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Brass
Antique Early 1900s German Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Metal
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Brass
Antique Late 19th Century German Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century French Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Antler, Horn, Oak
Antique Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Coat Racks and Stands
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century French Black Forest Hat Racks and Stands
Horn, Beech
Early 20th Century French Black Forest Hat Racks and Stands
Horn, Walnut
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Sculptures
Metal
Antique 1890s French Black Forest Animal Sculptures
Oak
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Antique Late 19th Century Swiss Black Forest Wall-mounted Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Sculptures and Carvings
Antler, Wood
20th Century Coat Racks and Stands
Antler
20th Century Shelves and Wall Cabinets
Wood
A Close Look at black-forest Furniture
Although its name evokes a mountainous region in Germany, antique Black Forest–style furniture originated in Switzerland. In Brienz, during the early 19th century, wood-carver Christian Fischer recognized the market for tourist souvenirs and helped make the village into a wood-carving destination. The Brienz Woodcarving School was founded in 1884 and had its own small zoo for studying the anatomy of animals, depictions of which are a defining aspect of the style, also known as Brienzerware.
Whimsical sculptures, often depicting bears and other Alpine animals like stags, owls, deer and boars, characterize the work produced in the area. Along with folk art and decorative objects, Black Forest furniture included benches held aloft by bears, umbrella stands carved with acorns and clock cases adorned with scrolling oak leaves. While most wood-carvers adhered to a similar realism in their designs and woods like linden, maple and walnut, their aesthetics varied.
The F. Peter Trauffer family was known for their hand-carved bear sculptures that saw the furry mammals playing instruments, smoking pipes and engaging in all sorts of human activities. They were sometimes detailed with glass eyes and integrated into functional pieces of furniture, including chair backs and bench legs, which generations of cabinetmakers created from the 1880s to the 1950s. Walter Mader and his son Heinrich frequently carved Saint Bernard sculptures that they incorporated into furniture.
As the Black Forest furniture style spread around the world through exhibitions at world’s fairs in the 19th and early 20th centuries, the rusticity of these pieces resonated at a time of increasing urbanization, inspiring other artisans.
Find a collection of antique Black Forest cabinets, bedroom furniture, seating and other items on 1stDibs.