Bernhard Ludwig

Designed and executed by: Bernhard Ludwig, cabinetmaker by appointment to the imperial and royal court, Vienna, from 1906 on
First-class Viennese cabinet making

Walnut and veneer, maple interior, floral and geometric inlays in walnut and birch, silver-plated brass fittings, surface cleaned and slightly repolished, 4 fittings round the hinges missing.

The cabinet "Heimat" [Homeland] by the Viennese company, Bernhard Ludwig, combines tradition and modernity into a remarkable formal language, which has a hint of French art nouveau. The detailed carving, inlays and fittings together with the exceptionally fine workmanship are characteristic for this piece. A matching piece – part of a 16 piece dining room set – is to be found in the Museum of Applied Arts in Vienna.

In my opinion the furniture of the "Heimat" (dining room), "München" (study), "Bavaria" (bedroom) and "Köln" (drawing room) series could be ordered not later than 1906 (perhaps even earlier) in various woods and slightly different sizes. They all excellent examples of the cabinetmaker’s craft as are the inlays, the carving and the exceptional quality of the interiors. The fittings, sometimes done in silver plate while others are solid copper, are always identical although not always present in the same numbers throughout. Their price was very high; they were very definitively prestigious items of luxury furniture.