Biedermeier Boxes
The authentic Biedermeier furniture on 1stDibs is representative of 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 chairs, tables and other 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 antique, new and vintage Biedermeier furniture offered on 1stDibs, that is now an amusing irony.
1880s Swiss Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Steel
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Mirror, Walnut, Spruce
1820s Czech Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Wood, Lacquer, Ash, Maple, Walnut, Spruce
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Silver
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass
1830s Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Leather, Fabric
1850s French Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Spruce, Walnut
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Mahogany, Maple, Oak
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Cherry
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Zebra Wood, Yew, Amboyna, Satinwood
1850s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Cherry
20th Century Biedermeier Boxes
Leather, Birch
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Mahogany, Maple, Walnut
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Silver
1870s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Leather, Beads
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Maple, Walnut, Paint
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Silver
Late 20th Century French Biedermeier Boxes
Bronze
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass
1830s Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Ash
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Tin
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Lacquer, Wood, Spruce
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Gold
1870s British Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Walnut
1970s Swiss Vintage Biedermeier Boxes
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Biedermeier Boxes
Metal
19th Century British Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Metal, Brass
1820s European Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Gold
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Textile, Wood
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Multi-gemstone, Enamel
1830s Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Ash
Mid-20th Century Biedermeier Boxes
Maple, Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Satinwood
1940s French Vintage Biedermeier Boxes
Bronze
Late 19th Century Egyptian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Bronze
1860s Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Ebony, Maple, Walnut, Softwood
19th Century Danish Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Walnut
1820s Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Wood
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Horn, Walnut
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Mahogany, Maple, Walnut
Mid-20th Century Italian Biedermeier Boxes
Hardwood
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Maple, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Mirror, Birch, Ebony, Maple
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Cherry, Maple, Pearwood, Walnut
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Boxes
Brass