Black Forest Desk Accessories
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.
Early 20th Century Austrian Black Forest Desk Accessories
Art Glass, Softwood
Early 20th Century European Black Forest Desk Accessories
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Black Forest Desk Accessories
Silver Plate
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
Mid-20th Century Black Forest Desk Accessories
Brass
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Terracotta
1890s Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood, Antler
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Desk Accessories
Antler, Wood
Late 20th Century German Black Forest Desk Accessories
Marble, Bronze
Mid-20th Century Black Forest Desk Accessories
Brass
1870s Indian Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Sandalwood, Leather, Antler, Bone
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Walnut
19th Century German Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Velvet, Cut Glass, Wood
2010s German Black Forest Desk Accessories
Porcelain
19th Century German Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Softwood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Desk Accessories
Brass, Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Desk Accessories
Glass, Wood, Nutwood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
2010s German Black Forest Desk Accessories
Porcelain
1930s German Vintage Black Forest Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
1890s German Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Metal
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
1890s German Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
1930s German Vintage Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Desk Accessories
Antler
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Nutwood
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Desk Accessories
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century French Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Bone, Walnut, Glass
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Cut Glass, Wood
1890s Swiss Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Desk Accessories
Walnut
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Desk Accessories
Wrought Iron
19th Century German Antique Black Forest Desk Accessories
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Desk Accessories
Brass