Pair of Antique Hand-Carved Black Forest Bear Chairs
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Antique Swiss Black Forest carved bear chairs. Intricately hand-carved with chair backs featuring bear climbing branches of oak leaves with acorns.
Wood
19th Century Black Forest Carved Bear Chair
By Black Forest
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Black Forest Swiss carved chair having bear on fallen log.
Wood
Swiss Black Forest Carved Wood Bear Chair, Circa 1890
By Black Forest
Located in London, GB
A characterful Swiss Black Forest carved wood seat, the shaped seat with textured surface, supported at one side by a standing bear carved naturalistically with open mouth and detail...
Wood
19th Century Black Forest Carved Bear Chair
By Black Forest
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Black Forest Swiss carved chair having bear on fallen log.
Wood
Antique Swiss Black Forest Hand-Carved Chairs
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Pair of Swiss hand-carved Black Forest bear chairs. Both facing left with acorn and oak leaf motif, and carved seats.
Wood
Swiss Black Forest Musical Chair with Twin Bears
By Black Forest
Located in Newark, England
FREE WORLDWIDE SHIPPING Swiss Black Forest musical child’s chair with carved twin bears, dating to circa 1880.
Wood
Antique Black Forest Carved Bear Chair, Brienz, circa 1880s
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Antique Black Forest Carved Bear Chair, Brienz, circa 1880s An exceptional hand-carved Black Forest bear chair dating to around 1880.
Wood
Antique Swiss Black Forest Hand-Carved Bear Chairs
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Matching pair of hand-carved Swiss Black Forest chairs with bears facing each other.
Wood
A Rare Beautifully Carved Swiss “Black Forest” Musical Bear Chair
Located in London, GB
A Rare Beautifully Carved Swiss “Black Forest” Musical Bear Chair Circa 1920 Retailed by Ed Jobin & Co Brienz.
Wood
19th Century Pair of Swiss Black Forest Carved Lindenwood Chairs With Bear Motif
Located in London, GB
A Pair of Carved Black Forest Chairs Constructed in carved Lindenwood, the legs carved to mimic branches, supporting naturalistically carved seats, the back of each chair centred by...
Wood
Pair of Swiss Black Forest Hand-Carved Chairs
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Matched pair of Swiss Black Forest hand-carved bear chairs with bears facing each other.
Wood
A very rare Black Forest bear chair.
Located in Miami, FL
A very rare Black Forest bear chair, in the form of the playful bear.
Wood
19th Century Black Forest Carved Bear Hall Chair
Located in Moreton-in-Marsh, Gloucestershire
A superb 19th century Black Forest carved bear hall chair; the standing bear with attitude and his head raised with his mouth open showing his polychrome teeth and tongue, his arms a...
Wood
Unavailable
H 39 in W 26 in D 33 in
Antique Black Forest Carved Bear Hall Chair Armchair, 19th Century, circa 1875
Located in Longdon, Tewkesbury
Antique Black Forest carved bear hall chair armchair, 19th century, circa 1875 Magnificent Swiss 19th century Black Forest carved bear hall chair circa 1875, the bear standing on ...
Wood
Sold
H 41.54 in W 19.1 in
Vintage Hand Carved Black Forest Wood Bear Chair with Bears Climbing the Legs
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely decorative vintage Black Forest wood bear chair This chair is part of a suite, I have the matching chair but with arms and a lovely ...
Wood
Linden Wood ’Black Forest’ Bear Armchair from Peter Trauffer
Located in Lymington, Hampshire
A linden wood ’Black Forest’ Bear armchair from Peter Trauffer, modelled as a seated bear with a radiating grooved seat in his lap, his paws outstretched in an embrace and his head t...
Wood
Set of Eight Carved Black Forest Side Chairs
Located in London, GB
This magnificent 19th C. set of 8 black forest side chairs depicting a bear climbing have been superbly hand carved.
Wood
Rustic Black Forest Oak Arm Chair with Carved Bears
Located in Queens, NY
Rustic Black Forest style (19/20th Cent) oak arm chair with 2 carved bears on top of back along with country scenes & oak leaves in relief with an upholstered seat & back panel.
Oak, Upholstery
Sold
H 40.95 in W 21.66 in D 21.26 in
Vintage Hand Carved Black Forest Wood Bear Armchair with Bears Climbing the Legs
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
We are delighted to offer for sale this lovely decorative vintage Black Forest wood Bear armchair This chair is part of a suite, I have the matching chair but without arms and a l...
Wood
Sold
H 41.5 in W 24.5 in D 25.5 in
Unique & Sturdy Antique Black Forest Armchair / Lounge Chair W. Bear Sculptures
Located in Lisse, NL
Especially the bears climbing the front legs of this vey rare Black Forest chair make this antique a truly desirable and collectible one.
Glass, Wood
"Black Forest" Bear Chair
Located in Stamford, CT
Offered here is a most unusual 19th century black forest carved Linden Wood Bear Armchair modeled as a seated bear with outstretched paws, circa 1890.
Sold
H 39 in W 26 in D 33 in
Antique Black Forest Carved Bear Hall Chair Armchair, 19th Century, circa 1875
Located in Longdon, Tewkesbury
Antique Black Forest carved bear hall chair armchair, 19th century, circa 1875 Magnificent Swiss 19th century Black Forest carved bear hall chair circa 1875, the bear standing on ...
Wood
Sold
H 39 in W 26 in D 33 in
Antique Black Forest Carved Bear Hall Chair Armchair, 19th Century, circa 1875
Located in Longdon, Tewkesbury
Antique Black Forest carved bear hall chair armchair, 19th century, circa 1875 Magnificent Swiss 19th century Black Forest carved bear hall chair circa 1875, the bear standing on ...
Wood
Sold
H 39 in W 26 in D 33 in
Antique Black Forest Carved Bear Hall Chair Armchair, 19th Century, circa 1875
Located in Longdon, Tewkesbury
Antique Black Forest carved bear hall chair armchair, 19th century, circa 1875 Magnificent Swiss 19th century Black Forest carved bear hall chair circa 1875, the bear standing on ...
Wood
Sold
H 39 in W 26 in D 33 in
Antique Black Forest Carved Bear Hall Chair Armchair, 19th Century, circa 1875
Located in Longdon, Tewkesbury
Magnificent Swiss 19th century Black Forest carved bear hall chair circa 1875, the bear standing on his hind legs looking to his left with his mouth open showing teeth and tongue wit...
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Bear Seat
Located in Aspen, CO
A Swiss "Black Forest" carved linden wood bear chair, modeled as a bear sitting with legs crossed, holding a lily pad seat.
$2,800 / set
H 17.5 in W 10.5 in D 6.5 in
Pair of Art Deco Style Murano Smoked Glass Wall Sconces, Italy Contemporary
Located in Miami, FL
Pair of Art Deco style Murano smoked glass wall lights, contemporary Smoked / fume color and horizontal striation texture Black opaline finial and brass accents Art Deco inspired de...
Brass
$33,898
H 6.3 in W 15.75 in D 5.91 in
Fossilised Skull of Prehistoric Marine Reptile the Mosasaur, 70Million Years Ago
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Upper Cretaceous, about 70-65 million years ago (Maastrichtian) Morocco The skull is reconstructed in good proportions with fossil pieces found in a phosphate mine in Morocco. I att...
Bone
$109,294
H 16.54 in W 7.88 in D 21.26 in
PH Piano Table Lamp in Brass and Glass by Poul Henningsen, 1930s
By Poul Henningsen
Located in Limhamn, Skåne län
The PH Piano table lamp, designed by Poul Henningsen and produced by Louis Poulsen in Denmark during the 1930s, is a rare example of early Scandinavian modern lighting design. The la...
Brass
$18,118
H 33.6 in W 55.5 in D 19.6 in
Antique Black Forest Bear Bench w. Five Bear Sculptures & Carved Oak Leaf Seat
Located in Lisse, NL
Large and impressive, hand carved and demountable bench with five bear sculptures. This superbly hand carved bench is entirely made of solid wood and therefor too this stunning and ...
Glass, Wood
$4,500
H 13.5 in W 11.5 in D 1 in
"Leda and the Swan", Incised and Painted Wood Panel, Art Deco, Gold and Black
By Arthur Crisp
Located in Philadelphia, PA
This brilliant depiction of Leda and the Swan, a nude female figure and outstretched black swan illustrating the classic mythological story, was painted by Arthur Crisp on wood panel...
Wood, Paint
$1,675
H 20.87 in W 17.33 in D 11.42 in
Antique Black Forest Carved Cuckoo Clock with Stag Head on Top
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Large Antique Black Forest Carved Cuckoo Clock with Stag Head A large handcarved wooden cuckoo clock, decorated with hunting accessoires, oak leaves, hare, pheasant and a stag head ...
Wood
Tiffany Studios Dragonfly Diachronic Confetti Table Lamp
By Tiffany Studios
Located in Dallas, TX
Tiffany Studios Dragonfly Table Lamp A gorgeous Tiffany Studios diachronic light blue to green Dragonfly table lamp with confetti glass wings. A true piece of Museum quality collecti...
Bronze
Swiss Alp, folk art, Escabelle
Located in grand Lancy, CH
Swiss alp , folk art ,escabelle.
Wood
$17,763Sale Price|20% Off
H 28.75 in W 15.75 in D 8.67 in
Rare 19th Century Italian Memento Mori Bust / Sculpture Carrara Marble Vanitas
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Masterfully carved Italian Vanitas / Memento Mori bust in solid marble from late 19th century. White Carrara marble skull combined with masterfully carved hood & robes all from...
Carrara Marble
$15,000
H 13.19 in W 6.7 in D 5.52 in
Magnificent Large Vanadinite Table top, Decorative Sculpture object
Located in London, GB
An exceptional large specimen of vanadinite from Morocco, covered entirely with brilliant, deep red crystals of varying sizes. The crystals are densely packed together, forming a con...
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Quartz
A Pair of 19th Century Gustavian-Style Painted Doors
Located in New York, NY
A pair of Swedish Gustavian-Style hand-painted pine cabinet doors. By repute, these doors were painted Danish-Norwegian painter and art critic Poul 'Pola' Gauguin (1883-1961), the so...
Pine
Vintage Italian Paper Nautilus Shell Lamp
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This ethereal accent lamp is a masterwork of Italian artisan design, capturing the delicate beauty of a nautilus shell in a strikingly sculptural form. Hand-crafted in Venice, the sh...
Metal
Ugo Trevisan Fireplace in Hammered Steel
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ugo Trevisan (Officina d’Arte), fireplace, hammered steel, copper, Italy, 1950s The Turin-based atelier Officina d’Arte was established by the Venetian-born metalworker and designe...
Copper, Steel
19th Century Italian Venetian Grotto Settee by Pauly et Cie
By Pauly et Cie
Located in Queens, NY
Italian Venetian Grotto (19th cent.) silver gilt settee with triple seashell seat and dolphin & seahorse motif (att: Pauly et Cie, Venice)
Silver Leaf
$368,000Sale Price|20% Off
H 104 in W 45 in D 6 in
104" Historic Tiffany Window "Crusader", a Warrior Knight, after Mantegna c1890
By Tiffany Studios
Located in Big Flats, NY
Magnificent historic Tiffany Studios framed window, "Crusader", a Warrior Knight, after the 1460 work by Italian Renaissance painter Andrea Mantegna (1431-1506). Incorporating a harm...
Stained Glass
Native Copper Slice
Located in London, GB
This remarkable sheet of native copper from Michigan’s Keweenaw Peninsula displays beautiful natural metallic patterns and a rich bronze lustre. Its sculptural form captures both str...
Crystal, Rock Crystal, Copper
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.
With entire areas of our homes reserved for “sitting rooms,” the value of quality antique and vintage seating cannot be overstated.
Fortunately, the design of side chairs, armchairs and other lounge furniture — since what were, quite literally, the early perches of our ancestors — has evolved considerably.
Among the earliest standard seating furniture were stools. Egyptian stools, for example, designed for one person with no seat back, were x-shaped and typically folded to be tucked away. These rudimentary chairs informed the design of Greek and Roman stools, all of which were a long way from Sori Yanagi's Butterfly stool or Alvar Aalto's Stool 60. In the 18th century and earlier, seats with backs and armrests were largely reserved for high nobility.
The seating of today is more inclusive but the style and placement of chairs can still make a statement. Antique desk chairs and armchairs designed in the style of Louis XV, which eventually included painted furniture and were often made of rare woods, feature prominently curved legs as well as Chinese themes and varied ornaments. Much like the thrones of fairy tales and the regency, elegant lounges crafted in the Louis XV style convey wealth and prestige. In the kitchen, the dining chair placed at the head of the table is typically reserved for the head of the household or a revered guest.
Of course, with luxurious vintage or antique furnishings, every chair can seem like the best seat in the house. Whether your preference is stretching out on a plush sofa, such as the Serpentine, designed by Vladimir Kagan, or cozying up in a vintage wingback chair, there is likely to be a comfy classic or contemporary gem for you on 1stDibs.
With respect to the latest obsessions in design, cane seating has been cropping up everywhere, from sleek armchairs to lounge chairs, while bouclé fabric, a staple of modern furniture design, can be seen in mid-century modern, Scandinavian modern and Hollywood Regency furniture styles.
Admirers of the sophisticated craftsmanship and dark woods frequently associated with mid-century modern seating can find timeless furnishings in our expansive collection of lounge chairs, dining chairs and other items — whether they’re vintage editions or alluring official reproductions of iconic designs from the likes of Hans Wegner or from Charles and Ray Eames. Shop our inventory of Egg chairs, designed in 1958 by Arne Jacobsen, the Florence Knoll lounge chair and more.
No matter your style, the collection of unique chairs, sofas and other seating on 1stDibs is surely worthy of a standing ovation.