Folk Art Furniture
Folk art is a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Antique, new and vintage folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, duck decoys, portraiture and paintings, carnival art and quilts.
Quilts are a quintessential part of American folk art but their roots are international, with quilting dating back to Ancient Egypt. The practice spread to Europe and was especially prominent in the Middle Ages, with one of the oldest surviving examples being the Tristan quilt made in Sicily in the 14th century. They were made as bedcovers and clothing, including as a layer for knights to wear beneath their armor. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.
Elsewhere, the vast range of work associated with Mexican folk art includes masks made by Mexican craftspeople for traditional celebrations and ceremonial dances. Mexican masks are part of the country’s folk-art traditions that go back thousands of years and play a role in festivals and theater.
Works in the folk art tradition are valuable because of the skills involved, like weaving, hand-carving wood and even stonework. Many folk artists are self-taught, while some train as apprentices within their community. By using available materials and taking a personal approach to their creations, artists ensure each piece is unique and conveys a story.
During the Great Depression, artistic materials in America were hard to come by, so artisans used discarded wood from cigar boxes and shipping crates to make highly stylized, notched pieces — most often picture frames and boxes — that are today sought after by collectors. This folk art style is called tramp art and was popular from roughly 1870 until the 1940s.
Folk art brings vibrant culture and traditions into your home. Browse an extensive collection of antique, new and vintage folk art on 1stDibs.
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1920s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary French Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Beech
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Olive
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mohair, Wood
Late 18th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paint
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper, Wood, Glass
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Scrap Wood
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary French Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
17th Century Thai Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Plastic
Mid-20th Century Ghanaian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Antler, Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1910s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Driftwood
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Burl
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1930s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Masonite, Paint
Late 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1990s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Acrylic
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
15th Century and Earlier Javanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta
Late 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1960s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Rope, Beech
1960s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
1870s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Iron
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Shell, Polystyrene
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper, Steel, Tin
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Birch
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Fir
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Late 19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Furniture
Tin
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
20th Century Malian Folk Art Furniture
Cotton