Black Forest Decorative Objects
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.
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Cut Glass, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Porcelain
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Walnut
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood, Plaster, Antler
1880s Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Crystal
19th Century European Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century French Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Spelter
19th Century European Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Bronze
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Mercury Glass, Oak
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Metal
1920s Austrian Vintage Black Forest Decorative Objects
Glass, Walnut
1920s German Vintage Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
20th Century German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
2010s German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Crystal
1870s German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Glass, Wood
2010s German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Brass
2010s German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Porcelain
Late 18th Century Belgian Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Bronze, Enamel, Iron
1890s German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wool
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Nutwood
Early 1900s German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 1900s Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Walnut
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood, Antler
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Walnut
Mid-19th Century German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood, Antler
1920s German Vintage Black Forest Decorative Objects
Fruitwood
20th Century Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Hardwood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Blown Glass, Softwood
Early 20th Century Italian Black Forest Decorative Objects
Metal
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Decorative Objects
Walnut
Early 20th Century European Black Forest Decorative Objects
Brass, Iron
1920s German Vintage Black Forest Decorative Objects
Fruitwood
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
1890s German Antique Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Decorative Objects
Wood