Black Forest Sculptures
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.
Mid-19th Century German Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Rosewood
Late 19th Century European Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Sculptures
Metal, Wire
19th Century German Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Metal
1910s Swiss Vintage Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Nutwood
Early 20th Century European Black Forest Sculptures
Glass, Hide, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Metal
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Nutwood, Wood, Glass
1890s German Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Metal
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Brass
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Brass
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Austrian Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Oak
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
1890s French Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Walnut
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century European Black Forest Sculptures
Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century European Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Softwood
Mid-20th Century European Black Forest Sculptures
Wood, Oak
19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century European Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Oak
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Sculptures
Metal
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
1930s German Vintage Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
1880s French Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
1880s French Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Metal
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Walnut
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
1880s Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Walnut
19th Century European Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Bronze
Early 20th Century Italian Black Forest Sculptures
Metal
Mid-20th Century Swiss Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
1890s German Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Sculptures
Walnut