Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
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.
1920s European Vintage Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Mahogany
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Silver, Bronze, Enamel
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass, Enamel
1880s Swiss Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Steel
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut, Softwood
1980s Liechtenstein Vintage Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1850s German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Porcelain
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
Mid-19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
19th Century Balkan Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
Late 19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
1970s Swiss Vintage Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Fruitwood
1820s German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut
Early 20th Century Austrian Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
19th Century British Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Brass
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Rosewood
Mid-19th Century Swiss Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood, Hardwood, Maple
1960s Austrian Vintage Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
1820s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Birch
Early 20th Century European Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1880s German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1840s Swedish Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
1820s European Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Gold
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Early 20th Century German Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass, Bronze, Iron
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Early 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood