Maidu Basket
Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Decorative Baskets
Other
Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Decorative Baskets
Reed
Early 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Willow
People Also Browsed
Early 20th Century American Native American Decorative Baskets
Other
Mid-20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Wood
Antique 19th Century Indian Anglo Raj Decorative Bowls
Silver
Antique Early 1900s Indian Islamic Metalwork
Silver Plate, Brass
Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Other
Antique Late 19th Century Indian Other Metalwork
Silver
Vintage 1920s Indian Decorative Bowls
Wood
Antique Mid-19th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Wood
Antique 1880s American Native American Native American Objects
Beads
Early 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Twine
Mid-20th Century American Native American Decorative Baskets
Other
Early 20th Century American Native American Decorative Baskets
Other
Antique Late 19th Century American Native American Decorative Baskets
Other
Antique 19th Century Indian Decorative Bowls
Marble
20th Century Canadian Native American Native American Objects
Cedar
A Close Look at native-american Furniture
Native American broadly describes any Indigenous people in North America and encompasses hundreds of tribes and groups, all with distinct cultures. Native American–style furniture and decor likewise varies widely, from pieces created by Indigenous people to those appropriated by non-native designers.
Indigenous furniture’s rich heritage includes the bentwood boxes of the Northwest Coast carved from cedar for storing household or ceremonial objects. Generations of Native American people have made baskets for holding household items, with those in the Northeast using sweetgrass and those in the Southeast using pine needles and wicker. Artisans in the Plateau region wove watertight pieces like cradles from plant materials. Although these objects were intricately made, they were usually utilitarian rather than decorative.
The colonization of North America and the removal of Indigenous people from their lands led to the suppression of these practices. Many styles that used Native American motifs — such as Southwestern style, which was heavily influenced by the geometric patterns of Navajo textiles — have historically not involved Indigenous creators and, instead, have taken their traditions without their tribal context.
When decorating a home with Native American–style furniture, it is important to do so respectfully, by understanding the origins of motifs and objects and examining who profits from their sale. There are now Indigenous-led companies, such as Cherokee designer Cray Bauxmont-Flynn’s Amatoya and Totem House Design, promoting Indigenous work in furniture and home decor. Supporting Indigenous artists and artisans is essential to confronting the still pervasive issue of cultural appropriation in design.
Find a collection of Native American living room furniture, folk art, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.