European Wall Brackets

Antique brass curtain tie backs, each makes an umbrella of banana leaves.

A superb antique Black Forest chamois or mountain goat wall bracket shelf hand carved in Switzerland, circa 1900. This fine bracket features a handsome chamois with glass eyes surrounded by intricately carved leaves. It's perfect for your rustic lodge decor...

A lovely little shelf made of hand carved wood, made in the black forest area in Germany. Found at an estate sale in Nuremberg, Germany. It is not marked. A nice addition to your col...

Geographically speaking, “Black Forest” denotes the forested mountain range in southwest Germany. Since the early 1800’s, the phrase has been used to describe elaborate animal wood carvings, as the figures were thought to have originated in the Black Forest of Germany. It is believed that in the 1850s, the Trauffer’s, a family of woodcarvers, began popularizing the “black forest style” through their handicrafts, furniture making and their instruction in carving at a school in Brienz Switzerland. The popular notion that the Black Forest style has its roots in the the Bavarian Black Forest, in Germany, is likely mistaken. By 1910 there were some 1,300 cottage industries of woodcarvers in the environs of Brienz and the Black Forest style of carving became a major economic force and home industry throughout Switzerland. The communities of Luzern and Interlaken also became noted for these handicrafts. The popularity of black forest carvings was driven by both a strong tourist industry and the crafts movement. The “Black Forest” style describes wooden sculptures or carved replicas of nature’s bounty, incorporated into the design of household items. Antique Black Forest handicrafts exemplify Swiss folk art traditions and are seen in carved clock cases, hall trees, desks, picture frames, chairs and all variety of decorative objects and furnishings. Walnut and linden wood is typically used. The black forest style is the accomplished carving and trained whittling of realistic tree branches, twigs, bears, birds, deer, rabbits, edelweiss flowers and such Both of the brackets seen here feature a small, shaped shelf with a thin recessed molding along the underside. They rest on top of a tripartite tree trunk support, just above an eagle with wings displayed and expanded perched on a branch. Each eagle grips its prey with its talons. Additional branches dotted with small flowers surround each bird. The birds have been presented looking in opposite directions, allowing for them to be displayed on either side of a piece of art or architectural element. Our pair of Swiss black forest eagle wall brackets...

Large French carved wood Black Forest Eagle Wall Bracket Circa 1900. Acanthus leaves.

Brass chrome-plated and ebonized coat, hat hooks, attributed to Josef Hoffmann elegant shape and perfect quality made in Austria in the early 1900s. Original condition. Two pieces +...

French faux bamboo towel holder, circa 1900.

Antique Black Forest leaves pine wood wall bracket, circa 1900.

4 floral brass hooks Jugendstil, circa 1907 Polished and stove enameled.

Elegant scrolled and shell motif large wall shelf. The gilt surface with a slight patinated finish. This shelf is large enough for some bracket clocks with a tops surface of 13 inche...

French Majolica scarab bug signed Fives Lille, circa 1900. Sarreguemines and fives created several examples of this wall pockets with different insects as dragonfly, grasshopper, la...

Add an elegant Parisian touch to your decor, suspend your framed paintings or photos from these beautiful French Ormolu picture hook covers. A set of five medallions, circa early 1900s, finely crafted with a classical relief design of bow and drapery, beautiful aged patina.The square opening just below the bow allows for the picture hanger. Each piece has two small holes for affixing the cover to the wall or ceiling molding...