Biedermeier Inkwells
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.
Early 19th Century Hungarian Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Brass
1850s Danish Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
1930s British Vintage Biedermeier Inkwells
Chrome
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Wood
1870s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Gold, Brass
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Ceramic
1880s French Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Porcelain
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Bronze
Late 19th Century Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Crystal, Bronze
Early 20th Century Danish Biedermeier Inkwells
Porcelain
19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Metal
Early 1900s Chinese Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Copper, Enamel
19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Inkwells
Pottery