Skip to main content

Black Forest Desk Sets

BLACK FOREST STYLE

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.

to
4
2
2
1
1
263
262
229
221
75
47
14
13
13
11
9
8
8
8
6
4
4
2
2
2
2
2
1
2
2
2
2
1
1
1
Height
to
Width
to
4
4
4
Style: Black Forest
Rare Antler Desk Standish with Elaborate Carvings, Germany ca. 1840
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Rare Antler Desk Standish with Elaborate Carvings, Germany ca. 1840 A rare antique writing desk set made of wood and original antlers decorated with fine carved hunting scenes depic...
Category

Mid-19th Century German Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Wood, Antler

Antique Anglo-Indian Vizagapatam Stag Antler Horn Slope Top Writing Desk c 1800s
Located in Chicago, IL
Stag Antler Table Top Desk Secretary or rather as described by a British expert: an Anglo-Indian Stag Antler Writing Slope Table Top Desk, late 19th century from Vizagapatam, which was the headquarters of the Vizagapatam District of Madras during the British period. Stag Antler anything is rare and unusual today, especially when it is completely covered in carved strips of Natural unpolished Antler. Finding Stag Antler Writing Desks are beyond rare and in our 30-years in the Antique business...
Category

1870s Indian Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Bone, Antler, Leather, Sandalwood

Vintage Black Forest Bear Pen Rest, German, Bronze, Marble, Decor, Desk Stand
Located in Hele, Devon, GB
This is a vintage Black Forest bear pen rest. A German, bronze and marble decorative desk Stand, dating to the late 20th century, circa 1970. Highly distinctive desk Stand with charm...
Category

Late 20th Century German Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Marble, Bronze

Antique Brass Bronze Black Forest Figural 3 Bears Desk Pen Tray Trinket Holder
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Brass Bronze Black Forest Figural 3 Bears Desk Pen Tray Trinket Holder. Circa Mid 20th Century. Measurements: 1.5" H x 12.25" W x 10" D.
Category

Mid-20th Century Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Brass

Related Items
Marble Desk Pen Holder Organizer
Located in New York, NY
A substantial marble desk pen/pencil/marker holder organizer, in the modern style, Midcentury Modern design period, circa mid-20th century. Organizer can hold small pieces of paper, ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Marble

Marble Desk Pen Holder Organizer
Marble Desk Pen Holder Organizer
$475
H 1.88 in W 5.88 in D 2.75 in
Finely Carved 'Black Forest' Pipe Stand
Located in Forest Row, East Sussex
A finely carved "Black Forest' pipe stand. Carved Lindenwood with a single bear standing over a naturalistic base with the pipe holders and astray to fron...
Category

Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Wood

Finely Carved 'Black Forest' Pipe Stand
Finely Carved 'Black Forest' Pipe Stand
$1,347
H 7.09 in W 10.63 in D 7.49 in
1950s German Newspaper Advertising Tin Clips Midcentury Graphic Design Set
Located in Hyattsville, MD
Small collection of light duty metal clips, from German newspapers. Silkscreen on thin metal. All working. Kölnische Zeitung (Cologne Gazette) Frankfurter Rundschau Rheinische P...
Category

1950s German Vintage Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Tin

1950s German Newspaper Advertising Tin Clips Midcentury Graphic Design Set
1950s German Newspaper Advertising Tin Clips Midcentury Graphic Design Set
$764 Sale Price / set
20% Off
H 1 in W 4 in D 1.25 in
Antique Anglo-Indian Fluted Writing Box With Secret Drawers. Early 19th Century
Located in St Annes, Lancashire
Wonderful writing box made from a tropical hardwood Fabulous shape and plain fluted carving. It gives it a modernist appearance Probably Sri Lankan 3 secret drawers* Replaced lea...
Category

Early 19th Century Sri Lankan Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Wood

Antique Victorian Brass Bound Traveling Desk Walnut Wooden Writing Slope Box 19C
Located in Dublin, Ireland
An exceptionally fine early English Well Figured Solid grained Walnut Ladies or Gents Travelling Writing Slope of outstanding quality and compact proportions. Last quarter of the Nin...
Category

19th Century English Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Brass

Fontana Arte 1950s Modernist Glass Pen Holder or Stand and Ashtray Desk Set
Located in Landau an der Isar, Bayern
Beautiful vintage Mid-Century Modern desk set featuring an adjustable pen holder or stand with a tray and an ashtray attributed to Max Ingrand for Fontana Arte. Made in Italy, circa ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Glass

19th Century Victorian Writing Slope/ Travel Desk Box, Brass Bound, UK ca. 1815
Located in Lichtenberg, AT
Impressive Victorian writing slope or travel desk - attributed to the famous company of Thompson - from the period around 1800 - 1815 in the United Kingdom. This fantastic Captain’s campaign writing slope dates back to the Napoleonic wars. Well constructed out of solid mahogany with screwed down mount re-enforcements, brass banding, and inset carrying handles at each end, this outstanding travel desk box was designed to withstand the harsh maritime life at sea. The exterior of this Victorian travel box shows an attractive mahogany grain, beautiful colour, and a lovely pleasing patina. There are a couple of old indented scars to the lid along with the usual minor surface scratching, but these imperfections confer it an absolutely unique charme. The box has a tri-fold operation, opening to reveal a secondary smaller writing surface for quick use, then opening again to reveal the main slope fitted with a green felt writing surface which is in reasonable condition and compliments the original interior. When it is completely opened you have two storage compartments underneath. The original lock works smoothly with the original key. The original interior is nicely fitted out with a dark green leather drop-down section in the lid which features four memoire pockets. This section can additionally be lowered to reveal a document wallet...
Category

Early 19th Century British Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Brass

Art Deco Pan-Am DC3 Wooden Airplane Desk Model, Midcentury
Located in Buenos Aires, Olivos
Art Deco / midcentury large DC3 desk aviation model. Pan-Am wooden airplane model. It was in an office of the company in South America. Very good restored conditions. Slight age wear. History Pan American Airways began the first transatlantic passenger service on this day in 1939. Pan American World Airways, as it was to be known, commonly known as Pan Am, was the principal United States international air carrier from the late 1920s until its collapse on December 4, 1991. Founded in 1927 as a scheduled air mail and passenger service operating between Key West, Florida, and Havana, Cuba, the airline became a major company credited with many innovations that shaped the international airline industry, including the widespread use of jet aircraft, jumbo jets, and computerized reservation systems. The history of Pan American Airways is inextricably linked to the expansive vision and singular effort of one man – Juan Trippe. An avid flying enthusiast and pilot, Trippe, only 28 years old when he founded the airline, lined up wealthy investors and powerful government officials from his personal acquaintances in the high-society of the 1920s. However, Pan Am’s first flight was an inauspicious start to its epic saga. In 1927, facing a Post Office deadline for the commencement of mail carriage, Pan Am had no working equipment for its sole airmail contract between Key West and Havana. Fortunately for Pan Am, a pilot with his Fairchild seaplane arrived at Key West and was willing to carry the mail to Cuba for the start up operation. It is fitting that Pan Am’s first flight would be over water, since the airline would Pioneer overseas routes throughout its history. Pan Am’s fortunes took a turn for the better in the fall of 1927. Through the heavy lobbying efforts of Juan Trippe, Pan Am was selected by the United States government to be its “chosen instrument” for overseas operations. Pan Am would enjoy a near monopoly on international routes. Added to Pan Am’s Cuba route were lines serving Mexico, Central America, the Dominican Republic, Haiti and Puerto Rico. Most of these destinations were port cities, which could be reached only by landing on water. Therefore Pan Am made good use of its “flying boats,” the Sikorsky S-38 and S-40. Flights were eventually expanded to serve much of South America as well. EnlargePan Am’s fleet of Clippers allowed the airline to conquer the Pacific in the mid-1930s. The flying boats would later be put to military use in WWII. Just a few years later, Pan Am launched its effort to cross the world’s largest oceans. Survey flights across the Pacific were conducted with the Sikorsky S-42 in 1935, but passenger service required bigger and better aircraft. Accompanied by much fanfare, the Martin M-130 was introduced in 1936, followed by the Boeing 314...
Category

Mid-20th Century Unknown Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Wood

Antique 19th Century Victorian Birdseye Maple Traveling Writing Slope Box
Located in Dayton, OH
Antique dark birds eye maple writing slope with brass M monogram plate on top with green felt lining and multiple interior storage compartments finishe...
Category

19th Century Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Felt, Birdseye Maple, Ebony

Desk Register from Buffalo Bill's Hotel in the Rockies
Located in Coeur d'Alene, ID
Buffalo Bill's desk register used at the Irma Hotel, including a double inkwell, hotel bell, envelope holder, pen holder, two envelopes, baggage claim tag, ...
Category

Early 20th Century American Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Wood

Vintage 1980s Gucci Desk Set Accessories - Leather Pen + Paper Holder & Tray
Located in St. Louis, MO
Nice 1980s Gucci - Italy designed leather desk accessories set, includes pen holder, note paper holder and small tray. The leather pieces have the classic green and red stripe, with ...
Category

1980s Italian Vintage Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Ceramic, Leather, Suede

Antique Regency Campaign Writing Slope Brass Mounts, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
An elegant Regency brass mounted Gonçalo Alves campaign writing slope, circa 1820 in date. The beautifully polished goncalo alves case has a ...
Category

1820s Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Wood

Previously Available Items
Antique Hand Carved Black Forest Inkstand with Owl on Books Sculpture & Inkwells
Located in Lisse, NL
Large size and rare antique black forest desk set, circa 1920. If you are a collector of decorative and meaningful antiques from the black forest then this handcrafted work of beaut...
Category

Early 20th Century European Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Brass

Stunning 19th Century Black Forest Carved Linden Wood Cup
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
A 19th century carved black forest cup and cover of exhibition quality carved in linden wood, the cup has intricately carved animal heads, bi...
Category

Late 19th Century European Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Antique Black Forest Basket with Carved Horn Plaques, ca. 1860
Located in Berghuelen, DE
Antique Black Forest Basket with Carved Horn Plaques, ca. 1860 A nice antique Black Forest basket with handcarved horn plaques on each side representing hunting scenes and oak leave...
Category

Mid-19th Century German Antique Black Forest Desk Sets

Materials

Horn, Wood

Black Forest desk sets for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Black Forest desk sets for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage desk sets created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with bone, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Black Forest desk sets made in a specific country, there are Europe, Germany, and Asia pieces for sale on 1stDibs. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for desk sets differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $595 and tops out at $4,400 while the average work can sell for $1,735.

Recently Viewed

View All