Torito De Pucara
Early 20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Animal Sculptures
Pottery
People Also Browsed
Early 20th Century Spanish Tables
Pine
Vintage 1950s Peruvian Vases
Clay
Antique 1870s Dutch Renaissance Revival Vitrines
Art Glass, Oak
Antique Late 19th Century Unknown Victorian Shadow Boxes
Glass
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Peruvian Pre-Columbian Antiquities
Textile
20th Century Shadow Boxes
Brass
Antique Early 19th Century Regency Shadow Boxes
Cotton
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Peruvian Pre-Columbian Antiquities
Textile
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Renaissance Decorative Art
Ceramic, Majolica
Antique 19th Century Folk Art Carnival Art
Hardwood
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Peruvian Pre-Columbian Antiquities
Gold
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Peruvian Pre-Columbian Antiquities
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Peruvian Pre-Columbian Tapestries
Textile
Vintage 1980s German Mid-Century Modern Decorative Art
Glass, Acrylic
Antique 18th Century Peruvian Spanish Colonial Paintings
Antique 15th Century and Earlier Pre-Columbian Antiquities
Textile
Recent Sales
Vintage 1930s Peruvian Folk Art Native American Objects
Clay
20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Animal Sculptures
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Ceramics
Ceramic, Pottery, Terracotta
A Close Look at 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.