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.
Whether you’re working on-site or giving your home office the makeover it deserves, a new, vintage or antique table clock or desk clock is a decorative touch that blends ornament and functionality. Who says that a unique desk clock isn’t a meaningful addition to your home office or library? And who says you don’t need a cool clock anymore?
While our means for telling time have evolved from pocket watches to wristwatches and finally to our digital phones, there is likely still a place for a table clock or desk clock in your life, even if it isn’t a modern desk clock.
Antique and vintage clocks appeal to our penchant for nostalgia, whisking us back in time to the 18th and 19th centuries, when clockmakers were busying themselves with designs for objects such as mantel clocks, then ornate pieces that were typically displayed on top of a fireplace. Tabletop clocks and desk clocks are variations on the carriage clock, a small, portable timepiece outfitted with a hinged carrying handle that garnered popularity as the growth of rail travel took shape.
Clocks make great collectibles. More than one mantel clock in your home library is going to elevate the space where your carefully curated stacks of books live, while a well-designed small decorative desk clock can be a fun way to express your personal style. Amid your inkwell, porcelain paperweights and other desk accessories, a desk or table clock designed during the Art Deco or Louis XVI eras, for example, is going to stand out in your workspace as a striking accent.
Since new, vintage and antique tabletop and desk clocks are not as common in today’s interiors, these objects will make a statement in yours. Find a spectacular clock on 1stDibs now.
