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.
Biedermeier Portal Clock, probably Vienna ca. 1820/30
Located in Greding, DE
Biedermeier portal clock in an architecturally structured walnut case with alabaster columns, bronze fittings and mirrored rear wall. The clockwork with date and sound spiral. Pendul...
Brass
Antique Meissen Porcelain Vase with Hand-Painted Flowers, Ca 1900
Located in København, Copenhagen
Antique Meissen porcelain vase with hand-painted flowers. Purple and gold decoration. Ca. 1900. Measures: 19.5 x 11 cm. In excellen...
Porcelain
Meissen Figurine 'Chiarina', Russian Ballet 'Carnival', by Paul Scheurich, 20th
Located in Vienna, AT
Finest Meissen Porcelain Figurine: Dancer balancing on the ball of her left foot, lifting her right leg slightly forward with her foot extended downward, leaning her head to the righ...
Porcelain
Mantel Clock with Genre Scene, Vienna 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Mantel clock in a gold-patinated wooden case with enameled clock face and octagonal pedestal with paw feet. The clock case rises above it in the shape of a wooden hut with a pointed ...
Wood
$2,131Sale Price|20% Off
Wall Clock in the Biedermeier Style, 19th Century
Located in Opole, PL
Wall Clock in the Biedermeier Style, 19th Century Presenting a truly unique and original wall clock from the first half of the 19th century, crafted in the elegant Biedermeier style...
Wood, Rosewood
Writing Casket with Steel-Cut Decoration, Biedermeier, early 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Small writing casket with thuja root veneer and surrounding steel-cut decoration. The casket is lockable and features an interior compartment for an inkwell, blotting sand, and a qui...
Steel
$1,550Sale Price|20% Off
Paperweight, Probably Vienna, 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
Rectangular white lacquered paperweight with silver-plated fittings and handle and polychrome city view on cardboard, framed behind glass.
Paper
Vintage Boho 19th Century Burl Wood Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Experience the breathtaking beauty of natural materials with this exquisite antique burl wood box, a superb example of 19th-century craftsmanship...
Mother-of-Pearl, Burl
Portrait Bust of a Lady, Dated 1837
Located in Greding, DE
Portrait bust of a lady of the Biedermeier period. The bust was most probably modelled in plaster using the impression of the death mask. Signed on the ...
Plaster
Pair of Marble Portrait Busts of Male and Female 19th Century American
Located in London, GB
Two busts of male and female couple carved in marble, Biedemeier style American second half of 19th century, signed on reverse of each carved 'Dewey'. Two Portrait of a well to do couple firmly telling the America they have arrived and are upstanding. The hand carved marble busts are skillfully detailed and take you on a journey of the fruitiness of Middle America...
Carrara Marble
$2,421Sale Price|20% Off
Small Jewelry Box, Probably, Vienna, 19th Century
Located in Greding, DE
White lidded box standing on small spherical feet with trapezoidal body and lid with a groove. The fittings are silver plated. Key available. Interior veneered in cherry.
Wood
Silver 812.5 Biedermeier Lidded Casserole Wooden Stick Radelpunze Vienna 1827
Located in Vienna, AT
Silver 812.5 (= Silver 13 Lot) Biedermeier lidded casserole with wooden stick Vienna / Austria, made 1827 Austrian finest silver item of best manufacturing quality ! Specifications: The casserole is...
Sterling Silver
Cubic Biedermeier Box, Mahogany and Maple, Austria, circa 1840
By Biedermeier
Located in Regensburg, DE
Cubic Biedermeier box, mahogany and maple, Austria circa 1840 Rare cubic shaped decorative box form the Biedermeier period. Mahogany veneered with maple inlays. Oak base. Restored a...
Mahogany, Maple, Oak
Antique Bohemian Opaline Enamelled Glass Set by Moser, 19th Century
Located in Rostock, MV
Exceptional 3-Piece Set of Opaline Alabaster Glass by Moser – Vase, Goblet, and Serving Bowl – Circa 1860 A stunning 3-piece set of opaline alabaster glass by Moser, consisting of a...
Enamel
Very Fine Biedermeier Period Tea Caddy of Bombe Form in Exotic Woods, circa 1830
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A very fine and visually striking Biedermeier Period tea caddy of exceptional quality, demonstrating a highly elevated form and a most complex application of exotic woods. The hinged...
Zebra Wood, Yew, Amboyna, Satinwood
Antique Meissen Porcelain Vase with Hand-Painted Flowers, Ca 1900
Located in København, Copenhagen
Antique Meissen porcelain vase with hand-painted flowers. Purple and gold decoration. Ca. 1900. Measures: 18.5 x 11 cm. In excellen...
Porcelain
Meissen Figurine 'Estrella', Russian Ballet 'Carnival', by Paul Scheurich, 20th
Located in Vienna, AT
Finest Meissen Porcelain Figurine: Dancer balancing on her toes, turning her head to the right and bringing her right hand indecisively to her chin, while with her left hand she perf...
Porcelain
Restored Biedermeier Jewelry Box, Spruce, Plum-Tree, Germany, 1830s
Located in Brandys nad Labem, Středočeský kraj
This exquisite Biedermeier jewelry box is a fine example of master craftsmanship from the first half of the 19th century in Germany. Its design resembles a miniature version of a lar...
Lacquer, Wood, Spruce
$1,850Sale Price|61% Off
Biedermeier Period Wood and Gilt Clock
Located in Montreal, QC
Austrian Biedermeier period gilt and polychromed wood clock. Chiseled gold Swiss movement, signed: P.Francois a' Nion.
Ormolu
3 Antique Silver Money Boxes, Piggy Banks, Austria-Hungary & Germany, 19th Cent.
Located in Vienna, AT
Three silver money boxes, two in tankard form with padlocks, one in cuboid form with built-in lock, hinged lids. Dating: 19th Century Material: Silver 13 Lot ('812....
Silver
Meissen Figurine 'Estrella', Russian Ballet 'Carnival', by Paul Scheurich, 20th
Located in Vienna, AT
Finest Meissen Porcelain Figurine: Dancer balancing on her toes, turning her head to the right and bringing her right hand indecisively to her chin, while with her left hand she per...
Porcelain
Vienna Imperial Porcelain Coffee Service, 8 People, Prussian Blue & Gold, 1825
By Viennese Imperial Porcelain Manufactory
Located in Vienna, AT
Elegant 19-piece coffee service consisting of a coffee pot, a large milk or hot water pot, a large sugar urn and eight coffee cups with saucers. Large bulbous vessels on stepped stan...
Porcelain
Golden 750 Biedermeier Box Painting Portrait of Little Girl Vienna Made 1828
Located in Vienna, AT
Golden biedermeier round box with lovely portrait of a little girl. Vienna / Austria, made 1828 Finest golden item of best manufacturing quality! Specifications: The lid of round golden box...
Gold
Biedermeier Chimney Clock with Inlays, circa 1860
Located in Berlin, DE
Rosewood with tendril and thread inserts. Rectangular base with four columns and the clock hung under the architrave. Dial Email. Gold-plated brass bezel and decorated gold compensat...
Beech