Navajo Whirling Log
Antique 1880s American Native American Indian Rugs
Wool
Vintage 1940s American Navajo North and South American Rugs
Wool
People Also Browsed
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Mid-Century Modern Chandeliers and...
Onyx, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile, Wood
Vintage 1940s Persian Navajo North and South American Rugs
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Portuguese Modern Dining Room Tables
Marble, Onyx, Statuary Marble, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary French Brutalist Night Stands
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Mid-Century Modern Floor Lamps
Textile, Wood
2010s South African Minimalist Pedestals
Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary Swedish Mid-Century Modern Table Lamps
Textile
Late 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Cedar
Vintage 1950s Italian Mid-Century Modern Chairs
Velvet
Mid-20th Century American Mid-Century Modern Side Tables
Walnut
Vintage 1950s Canadian Native American Native American Objects
Cedar
Vintage 1940s Persian Navajo North and South American Rugs
Wool
Early 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
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Vintage 1930s American Native American Native American Objects
Cedar
1940s American Modern Landscape Drawings and Watercolors
Watercolor, Archival Paper
Recent Sales
Early 20th Century American Navajo Serving Pieces
Sterling Silver
Early 20th Century American Navajo Serving Pieces
Early 20th Century American Serving Pieces
Silver
Antique 19th Century American Navajo Decorative Baskets
Reed
Early 1900s Other Art Style More Art
Wool
Early 20th Century American Native American Indian Rugs
Wool
Vintage 1920s American Navajo North and South American Rugs
Vintage 1930s American Native American Native American Objects
Wool
Early 20th Century American Native American North and South American Rugs
Vintage 1920s Persian Navajo North and South American Rugs
Wool
Vintage 1910s American Navajo North and South American Rugs
Wool
Early 20th Century American Navajo Native American Objects
Silver
Early 20th Century American Native American Native American Objects
Metal
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.