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.
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Porcelain
1850s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
1830s Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Ash
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Porcelain
20th Century Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Leather, Birch
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Wood, Rosewood
Mid-19th Century Central American Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Carrara Marble
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Mahogany, Maple, Oak
1850s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
21st Century and Contemporary Czech Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Art Glass
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Gold Leaf
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Fabric, Leather
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass
1840s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Cherry
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Metal
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Gold
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Silver
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Paper
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Blown Glass
1830s Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Plaster
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Zebra Wood, Satinwood, Amboyna, Yew
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Beech
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass
Mid-19th Century Spanish Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Ceramic
1850s Danish Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Ormolu
1880s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Crystal, Silver
1880s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Crystal
1880s German Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Crystal
1840s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Decorative Objects
Brass