Black Forest Furniture
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.
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Glass
Late 20th Century Uzbek Black Forest Furniture
Cotton
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain
Late 20th Century Vietnamese Black Forest Furniture
Wool
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
21st Century and Contemporary German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain
21st Century and Contemporary German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
Mid-20th Century Black Forest Furniture
Textile
1950s Uzbek Vintage Black Forest Furniture
Cotton, Silk
1960s Uzbek Vintage Black Forest Furniture
Cotton
21st Century and Contemporary German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain
2010s German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
Late 19th Century Antique Black Forest Furniture
Metal
19th Century Antique Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
19th Century Antique Black Forest Furniture
Pewter
Early 20th Century Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Alabaster
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Other
1920s Persian Vintage Black Forest Furniture
Wool
1890s German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware