About German Antique Furniture

Time Frame

• Antique German furniture follows its own time frame. The basic styles of each period is similar to other countries, but the features are distinctively German.

  Renaissance Period -- 1603-1649
  Renaissance Baroque Period -- 1649-1694
  Baroque Period -- 1694 - 1714
  Rococo Period -- 1714-1727
  Neo-classical Period -- 1727 - 1780
  Biedermeier Period -- 1780 - 1830
  Renaissance Revival Period -- 1830 - 1900

Features

• Renaissance furniture was decorated with elaborately designed wrought iron lock plates, handles, and hinges.

  Renaissance Baroque furniture was heavy, with protruding doors and decorations were flowers, fruit and shells. There were also intricately carved scenes with people and scenery, like a painting done in wood.

  Baroque style in Germany was based on the Dutch and popular in the North. However, the decorations were different, more intricate.

  Rococo was very popular in Germany. They used the basic French design, but embellished it with carvings. The centers of the Rococo style were in the south in Munich and Augsburg and in the north in Berlin and Potsdam. Some outstanding pieces also came from Dresden.

  German Neoclassic furniture was simpler in design than the Rococo. It used rich woods like mahogany with very little decoration. Legs were fluted and tapered. Leather was used as tops for small accent tables.

  Biedermeier was simple in design and less expensive. It was geared to the middle class. It used light colored woods and veneers.

  Renaissance Revival used dark oak and walnut. The pieces were large, ornate and carved by hand.

Types

• The types of furniture basically were the same throughout the different periods of German antique furniture. It was the type of wood or decorations that made each period uniture.

  Storage chests are simple rectangle shaped units.

  Tables were constructed with X-shaped supports and legs in the middle

  Chairs were made with curved backs .

  A Schrank is found only in German furniture. It is a large cupboard or wardrobe. It was made with 2 large doors with 2 drawers underneath. Behind the doors, there were shelves, drawers, and places to hand clothes. They were also made to store food.

Geography

• Germany's geography played a large part in making German antique furniture unique. The Alps formed a natural barrier, making travel to other countries difficult. German craftsmen did travel to countries like France and Italy and brought back the basic styles. Germany also had a large expanse of forests, with woods unique to the area, giving each piece a distinctive German appearance.

Identification

• Germany as we know it today did not come into existence until 1871. Before then, there were independent regions, and each one had its own distinct style. You can tell where each piece came from because the craftsmen would put the seal of their city on the piece.