Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Glass, Wood
1880s German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Walnut
Early 1900s German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
Late 19th Century German Jugendstil Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Softwood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Glass, Wood
People Also Browsed
19th Century European Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Bronze
Early 1900s French French Provincial Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Oak
1880s Swiss Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Walnut
Early 20th Century English Arts and Crafts Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Croatian Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood, Oak
20th Century American Post-Modern Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Ceramic
18th Century Japanese Edo Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood, Lacquer
21st Century and Contemporary Croatian Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood, Oak
Early 2000s American Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
18th Century Old Masters Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Oil
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Softwood
Early 19th Century English Georgian Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Oak
1880s English Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
1930s German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
1930s German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
1880s Swiss Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
Recent Sales
1920s Swiss Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
19th Century English Folk Art Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
Late 19th Century French Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
Early 1900s German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Wood
1890s European Folk Art Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Softwood
Late 19th Century French Black Forest Antique Black Forest Nutcracker
Walnut
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.