Ancient Barro Pot

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.

Even if you’re (understandably) boastful of your minimalist loft apartment or breezy California coastal-style decor, your space could probably still use some streamlined antique and vintage pottery, which can prove both timeless and on-trend.

Pottery, which sees clay and other ceramic materials fired at high temperatures in order to lend them a durable and robust form, can introduce color and character to your dining room or living room. Pottery includes stoneware, porcelain and earthenware and, depending upon a piece’s origins, can vary considerably in style, form and function from one vessel to another. This makes it easy to find pottery for your interiors or outdoor garden areas, regardless of color scheme or design style.

“Ceramics are definitely seeing a resurgence in the decorating and art worlds,” says the team of Mat Sanders and Brandon Quattrone of interior design firm Consort. The personalization of handmade craftsmanship has served as a sort of anti-Internet to screen-weary decorators.

The rustic appearance of some mid-century-era Mexican pottery, such as a jug or water pitcher, can add earthy charm to your breakfast table while hand-painted antique Japanese pottery, such as a planter for your patio, might be characterized by rich colors and exquisitely detailed landscape scenes.

On 1stDibs, find a wide range of antique, new and vintage pottery with origins in countries all over the world. Our collection includes vases, vessels and other tableware from France, Italy and China as well as contemporary pottery and pieces that date from the 18th century and earlier.