Biedermeier Period Collection
Biedermeier furniture represents the first modern European decorative style not dictated by the tastes of the aristocracy. Following the Napoleonic wars, a growing, wealthy urban middle class in the German-speaking states of Central Europe began to demand rights and privileges once granted only to nobles. To avoid trouble, the upwardly striving confined their political discussions to one another’s homes. And so the salon was born.
Cabinetmakers in cities such as Vienna, Berlin and Mainz began to offer goods that reflected the tastes and needs of the new class. The makers of Biedermeier furniture used little or no gilding, silver hardware or other lavish ornament. Ebonized trims are common on Biedermeier cabinetry, and neoclassical elements — lyre-shaped chair splats, carved scrollwork, table supports shaped like Greek columns. But the strongest aesthetic statement came from the wood — richly-grained, honey-colored, often book-matched veneers of walnut and fruitwood.
There are two iconic Biedermeier furniture forms, both made to outfit rooms designed for conversation. One is the sofa, deeply upholstered with a strong, architectural wooden frame. The second is the circular pedestal table, which stood at the center of the room, offering a surface on which to place coffee and cake services; or to roll out a map, or sketch out ideas on paper.
“Biedermeier” was originally a derogatory term — it derives from the pen names of two German magazine writers who mocked bourgeois manners. Looking at the elegant and refined pieces offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
Early 19th Century Danish Empire Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Brass
1840s Danish Empire Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Mahogany
Early 1900s English Arts and Crafts Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Vietnamese Country Biedermeier Period Collection
Wood
19th Century European Empire Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Danish Empire Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Beech
19th Century European Empire Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Marble, Bronze
Mid-19th Century French Empire Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Marble
Late 20th Century Danish Scandinavian Modern Biedermeier Period Collection
Teak
19th Century British Chippendale Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Mid-19th Century European Empire Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Pine
1980s Italian Empire Vintage Biedermeier Period Collection
Mahogany
Early 19th Century Danish Empire Antique Biedermeier Period Collection
Elm
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