Bernhard Ludwig

Designed and executed by: Bernhard Ludwig, cabinetmaker by appointment to the Imperial and Royal Court, Vienna, from 1906 on
Marked on the lockers: Bernh. Ludwig, Wien 845

Walnut and veneer, maple interior, floral and geometric inlays in walnut and birch, silver-plated brass fittings, surface cleaned and slightly repolished, 4 fittings at the hinges missing, excellent original condition, first-class Viennese cabinet making

H 149 cm, W 78 cm, D 39 cm

The cabinet "Heimat" [Homeland] by the Viennese company, Bernhard Ludwig, combines tradition and modernity in a very remarkable and distinctive design language, somewhat related to French Art Nouveau. This piece stands out thanks to its elaborate carving, inlays and fittings as well as the exceptionally fine workmanship. A matching cabinet that belongs to a 16-piece dining room set, forms part of the collection held by the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna.
In my opinion, the pieces of furniture belonging to the "Heimat" (dining room), "München" (study), "Bavaria" (bedroom) and "Köln" (drawing room) series were made to order in various woods and slightly diverging dimensions no later than 1906 (perhaps even earlier). What these pieces all have in common is that they are all excellent examples of the cabinetmaker’s craft and skills, illustrated by the inlays, the carvings and the exceptional quality of the interiors. The fittings, some silver-plated some executed in solid copper, are always identical although not always used in the same numbers in all pieces of furniture. Another hallmark of these pieces was their high price as they were evidently very prestigious items of luxury furniture.