Black Forest Wall Decorations
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.
Late 19th Century European Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Enamel, Brass, Iron
Mid-20th Century Black Forest Wall Decorations
Paint
19th Century German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Metal
Early 20th Century Black Forest Wall Decorations
Paint
1910s Swiss Vintage Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
1890s German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood, Antler
1920s German Vintage Black Forest Wall Decorations
Metal
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Wall Decorations
Brass
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Plaster, Wood, Antler
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood, Antler
20th Century Austrian Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
19th Century German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Oak
19th Century French Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Early 20th Century Swiss Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
1930s German Vintage Black Forest Wall Decorations
Plaster
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood, Antler
Late 19th Century Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
1880s German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
1890s Austrian Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Ceramic, Majolica
1920s German Vintage Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood, Glass
Mid-19th Century German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Glass, Wood
Mid-19th Century Austrian Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Early 1900s German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Late 20th Century Uzbek Black Forest Wall Decorations
Cotton
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Oak
Late 19th Century German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Glass, Wood
Late 20th Century Uzbek Black Forest Wall Decorations
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Black Forest Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Blown Glass, Softwood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
1920s German Vintage Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
20th Century Swiss Black Forest Wall Decorations
Rope, Glass, Walnut
1930s Austrian Vintage Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Plaster, Wood
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Late 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood, Antler
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
1880s French Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Mid-19th Century Swiss Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Wood, Antler
Early 20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Early 1900s German Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Late 19th Century Unknown Antique Black Forest Wall Decorations
Oak
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood
Mid-20th Century German Black Forest Wall Decorations
Antler, Wood