Biedermeier Decorative Objects
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.
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Enamel
1840s Czech Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Uranium Glass
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Fruitwood
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Mahogany, Maple, Walnut
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
1870s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Leather, Beads
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass
1860s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Maple, Walnut, Paint
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
1830s Italian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-18th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass, Copper
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Mahogany
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
1780s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass, Wrought Iron
1830s European Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Marble
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
Mid-20th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Bronze
20th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Plaster
Late 20th Century French Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Bronze
20th Century European Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Iron
20th Century European Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1830s Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Plaster
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century American Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
19th Century British Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Mother-of-Pearl, Burl
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Marble
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass
1880s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Alpaca, Glass
1830s Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Ash
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Ormolu
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Tin
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Lacquer, Wood, Spruce
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Gold
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Paper
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver