Biedermeier Pedestals
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.
Early 19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Birch
Mid-19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Metal, Brass
19th Century German Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Walnut
20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Pedestals
Birch
Early 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Mahogany
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Pine
Early 20th Century Italian Biedermeier Pedestals
Maple
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Nutwood
19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Burl, Walnut
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Walnut
19th Century Austrian Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Maple
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Maple, Ebony
1940s American Vintage Biedermeier Pedestals
Marble, Brass
19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Birch
1980s American Vintage Biedermeier Pedestals
Olive
20th Century French Biedermeier Pedestals
Concrete
Mid-20th Century French Biedermeier Pedestals
Walnut
Late 19th Century French Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Glass, Walnut
19th Century Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Onyx
19th Century Italian Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Walnut
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Birch
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Birch
Late 19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Pine, Paint
19th Century English Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Porcelain
1880s French Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Pine
19th Century Dutch Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Wood
20th Century Biedermeier Pedestals
Walnut
1830s European Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Walnut
Early 20th Century European Biedermeier Pedestals
Walnut
Early 19th Century European Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Fruitwood, Walnut
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Stone, Brass
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Brass
Late 20th Century Biedermeier Pedestals
Birdseye Maple, Lacquer
Late 20th Century Biedermeier Pedestals
Hardwood
1830s German Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Walnut, Pine
1820s Austrian Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Ash
Early 20th Century Swedish Biedermeier Pedestals
Cherry
Early 1900s European Antique Biedermeier Pedestals
Wood