Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
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 Historical Memorabilia
Metal, Silver, Bronze, Enamel
1980s Liechtenstein Vintage Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Wood
1960s Scandinavian Vintage Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Metal
1860s English Antique Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Crystal, Marble
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Paper
1970s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Iron
1920s Vintage Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Brass
1990s Italian Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Paper
15th Century and Earlier Spanish Antique Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Bronze
1960s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Marble, Slate, Brass
1970s Italian Vintage Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Brass
1690s Italian Antique Biedermeier Historical Memorabilia
Metal