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.
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Furniture
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Black Forest Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century French Antique Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Brass
1880s Antique Black Forest Furniture
Walnut
2010s Austrian Black Forest Furniture
Linen
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Furniture
Cut Glass, Wood
1920s German Vintage Black Forest Furniture
Wood
1890s French Antique Black Forest Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
1970s Austrian Vintage Black Forest Furniture
Metal
19th Century European Antique Black Forest Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Wood, Antler
2010s Austrian Black Forest Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Bronze
1930s German Vintage Black Forest Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Wood, Antler
2010s Austrian Black Forest Furniture
Pottery
2010s Austrian Black Forest Furniture
Pottery
Mid-19th Century French Antique Black Forest Furniture
Spelter
Late 20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Wood, Antler
19th Century Antique Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
Early 20th Century Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Wood, Antler
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Black Forest Furniture
Metal
1930s German Vintage Black Forest Furniture
Plaster
Late 20th Century Black Forest Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Wood, Antler
Early 20th Century Black Forest Furniture
Pewter
Late 19th Century Antique Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Furniture
Wood
1920s German Vintage Black Forest Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Walnut
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary German Black Forest Furniture
Crystal
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Mirror, Oak, Giltwood
19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Furniture
Metal
20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Canvas, Wood
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Furniture
Walnut
Mid-20th Century Belgian Black Forest Furniture
Pottery
19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Antler, Glass, Wood
20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century Black Forest Furniture
Stoneware
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Furniture
Nutwood
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Furniture
Wood, Antler
1890s Austrian Antique Black Forest Furniture
Majolica, Ceramic
21st Century and Contemporary German Black Forest Furniture
Porcelain