Skip to main content

Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Americana and Folk Art (UNITED STATES, CA. 18th C.–20th C.)
Americana and Folk Art (UNITED STATES, CA. 18th C.–20th C.)

Though the pieces are timeless, folk art emerged as a collecting genre only in the 1920s. Then as now, collectors focused on American artifacts. The earliest were prompted in part by the awareness of a nation changed: in that decade, for the first time the majority of U.S. citizens lived in cities, rather than on farms and in small towns. At the same time, the ascendance of modernism in art and design was countered by promoters of the Colonial Revival style. That movement drew from attics and barns old hand-carved furniture, stilted 19th-century family portraits, weathervanes and butter churns.

The best folk art items were purchased by an odd mix that included bohemians and intellectuals, along with J.P. Morgan and members of the Chrysler and Rockefeller families (who began funding, for instance, the restoration of Colonial Williamsburg in Virginia in the 1920s). If nostalgia played a role, the primary motivation for folk art collectors was — as it is today — a recognition of the artistic merit and cultural significance of pure, honest expressions of the human impulse toward beauty.

Simplicity is its hallmark, yet folk art defies a simple definition — and covers a vast amount of ground. Folk art has been called "the art of the everyday": objects created by people, with no formal training in the arts, for use in their daily lives. These include everything from tools and toys to quilts, baskets, jugs, dowry chests and duck decoys. Folk art is generally made by hand; works might be carved, sewn, chiseled, knitted, hammered, woven or embroidered and more. Such techniques were passed down through the generations — one reason folk-art collecting has been described as "a kind of archaeology." Folk art reveals the inherent values and traditions of a community, through time-honored crafts, decorative motifs and pictorial subject matter.

All folk art intrinsically reflects a sense of pride. "Americana" is folk art that does so overtly:  through work that honors civic ideals and celebrates national and local achievements. Americana includes flags, bunting, carved bald eagles, and needlework with allegorical figures representing Liberty and Democracy; or helmets and buckets used by a volunteer fire brigade; or the trappings of fraternal organizations such as the Oddfellows. Collectors of Americana typically also collect American antique furniture that, while made in the workshops of a master cabinetmaker or joiner, reflects regional stylistic traits, tastes and quirks.

Almost all folk art is anonymous — and the prominent exception being signed work by early 19th-century itinerant portrait artists like the New Englander Ammi Phillips, whose 1835 portrait of a young girl and her pets was the first piece of folk art to sell for $1 million at auction. Until relatively recently, work by Phillips and his ilk was the prime focus of folk art collectors: the folk art of the Northeast defined the category. But recently, more attention and more scholarship have been devoted to the folk art of other regions: to the South, and the artwork of enslaved African Americans and their descendants; and to the Southwestern and early Latino folk art. Born in a time of change, folk art collecting is changing along with the nation.

to
1
19
127
22
11
9
8
7
5
4
4
4
4
4
3
2
2
1
1
1
1
Period: 18th Century and Earlier
American 18th Century Child's Chair with Original Woven Seat
Located in Carmel, CA
Charming child's chair in pine with original hickory woven seat. This slat back chair is very likely Shaker. Mushroom button top on arm. The turned finial on the back is of good prop...
Category

Late 18th Century American American Colonial Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Wood

American Mahogany Classical Swan Sofa, Philadelphia, Circa 1815
Located in Hollywood, SC
American mahogany classical upholstered sofa with swans head arm rest, carved corner cornucopia, and terminating on ebonized lions paw feet....
Category

18th Century and Earlier American American Classical Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Early American Turned Burl Bowl
Located in Sagaponack, NY
A large turned circa 1790 birch burl bowl from New England in fine original condition and having an untouched surface and patina.
Category

1790s American American Craftsman Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Birch

Maple William & Mary Dish-Top Candlestand
Located in West Chester, PA
Candlestand with circular top, turned pedestal, three turned legs and ball feet. Black paint is not original.
Category

18th Century and Earlier Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Maple

Portrait of Elizabeth Van Dyck Vosburg by Pieter Vanderlyn (The Gansevoort Limne
By Gansevoort Limner
Located in West Chester, PA
Portrait of Elizabeth "Betje" Van Dyck Vosburg., c. 1725. Unsigned, in original frame; accompanied by a Van Dyke family bible printed in Amsterdam in 1702. Condition: Minor repairs, ...
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Folk Art Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Canvas

American Chippendale Maple Serpentine Tilt Top Tripod Tea Table, Circa 1780
By A. Belokopytoff
Located in Hollywood, SC
American Chippendale maple serpentine tilt top tea table with a turned bulbous ringed pedestal, original brass locking mechanism. and resting on the original tripod legs with scrolle...
Category

1780s American Chippendale Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

American Mahogany Game Table. Circa 1790
Located in Hollywood, SC
American mahogany flip top game table with hand stenciled centered lyre pedestal, resting on saber legs with stenciled acanthus motif and original brass casters.
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

American Mahogany Satinwood Inlaid Pembroke Table. Rhode Island. Circa 1790
Located in Hollywood, SC
American Hepplewhite mahogany one drawer drop leaf pembroke with inlaid birds eye maple oval corners, satinwood string inlays, graduated bell flowers, and terminating on tapered legs...
Category

1790s American Hepplewhite Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

American Cuban Mahogany Slant Top Desk
Located in Hollywood, SC
American Cuban mahogany slant top desk with turned ball finial gallery, fitted interior drawers, and ending on cabriole legs with slipper feet.
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

American Walnut Chest of Drawers
Located in Hollywood, SC
American Walnut graduated chest of drawers with box wood string inlay, burl walnut carved skirt, and terminating on original splayed feet. Dealers please call for trade price.
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Duncan Phyfe American Empire Mahogany Sideboard
By Duncan Phyfe
Located in New York, NY
American Empire mahogany sideboard with two pedestal cabinets and 4 carved column supports centering a lower mirror under 3 drawers ...
Category

Late 18th Century American Empire Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Mahogany, Mirror

American Wire and Brass Fire Fender
Located in Hollywood, SC
American wire and brass fire fender with pleassing wire work and ball finials.
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

An American Queen Anne Painted Wing Chair Possibly New Hampshire
Located in Sheffield, MA
Of typical form with shaped wings and cabriole legs ending in pad feet

Height 49 in.
Category

18th Century and Earlier Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Pair of American Wrought Iron & Brass Urn Finial Andirons . Circa 1780
Located in Hollywood, SC
Pair of American wrought iron andirons with brass urn finial tops, scrolled decorative spit hook , and terminating on penny feet. Column...
Category

1780s American American Colonial Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Brass, Wrought Iron

American Cherry Chest of Drawers with Flanking Fluted Quarter Columns, VA C 1780
Located in Hollywood, SC
American Cherry five drawer chest of drawers with a carved molded edge top, flanking fluted quarter columns, original brasses, and terminating on the original ogee bracket feet. Virg...
Category

1780s American American Colonial Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

American Cherry Bow Front Graduated Chest of Drawers. Rhode Island. Circa 1780
Located in Hollywood, SC
American Cherry bow front chest with carved molded edge top, four graduated drawers, original oval brasses, carved quarter columns, and terminating on original ogee bracket feet. Sec...
Category

1780s American American Colonial Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

Pair of American Lemon Top Andirons Boston, Howes Co.
Located in Hollywood, SC
Pair of American bell brass lemon top andirons with turned rounded squared plinths, matching finial lemon log stops, and terminating on spurred legs...
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Important & Rare Pennsylvania 18thc Paint Decorated Cradle
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic early 18thc Pennsylvania painted and decorated baby cradle with strong German Dutch influence . This early cradle has come out of a fifty year collection and was found in Southern Pennsylvania originally . The hex signs...
Category

18th Century American Folk Art Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Wood

An American Chippendale Maple Slant Front Desk
Located in Sheffield, MA
An American Chippendale
Maple Slant Front Desk
Rhode Island
18th Century

The slant front opens to reveal ...
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Related Items
Neoclassical Louis XVI Style Mahogany and Silk Cabriole Sofa
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Absolutely stunning bespoke cabriole sofa settee featuring a gracefully curved mahogany frame. The frame was painstakingly crafted to appear as an 18th ...
Category

20th Century American Neoclassical Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Brass

18th Century Early American Ash Burl Bowl
Located in Chicago, IL
An incredible 18th century early American ash burl bowl from New England, probably New York, with an extraordinary tight burl grain pattern and a sm...
Category

18th Century American Primitive Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Ash, Burl

Mahogany Wood & Hogan Hepplewhite Style Sofa w/ Show-Wood Frame, In Stock
Located in North Salem, NY
Very elegant and graceful Wood & Hogan English 18th century George III style Mahogany 'Hepplewhite' sofa with a down feather filled buttoned cushion. This beautifully moulded Mahogany show-wood frame with hand carved rosettes has been reproduced from an original owned by the Earl of Lancaster. Four front square tapered legs with spade foot...
Category

Late 18th Century American Hepplewhite Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Mahogany, Down, Fabric, Jute, Cotton, Upholstery, Maple

Chippendale Pie Crust Tilt Top Table
Located in Stamford, CT
A very rare massive Chippendale carved and figured mahogany pie crust tilt top tea table. The carving is possibly by Martin Jugiez of Philadelphia ...
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Chippendale Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Mahogany

Large Bob Stocksdale Redwood Burl Freeform California Design Turned Art Bowl
By Bob Stocksdale
Located in San Diego, CA
Excellent carved bowl by California design artist, Bob Stocksdale. Dates from 1987 and is signed on the bottom. Made from California redwood burl wood. Great design and form. In exce...
Category

Late 20th Century Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Wood

Handcrafted Turned Wooden Bowl by Franz Woodworks
Located in Grand Rapids, MI
USA, 2007 Handcrafted wooden bowl. Stamped on base 'Handcrafted by Robert L. Frantz 2007'. Beautiful detail to this handcrafted piece in medium wood tones. A great piece for styling,...
Category

Early 2000s American American Craftsman Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Wood

Victorian Child's Rocking Chair. American, Circa 1875
Located in Incline Village, NV
Lovely child's mid-Victorian hardwood rocking chair, ebonized with hand painted polychromed floral stenciling to the top back rail in colors of blue, green and red; gold line and fle...
Category

1870s American Victorian Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Wood

Original Signed Folk Art Painting by Robyn “The Beaver” Beverland
By Robyn Beverland
Located in Atlanta, GA
Unique original signed Folk Art painting by Robyn “The Beaver” Beverland. Signed and dated 1992. Measures: 22" x 12". Artist bio: Robyn “The Beaver” Beverland found great joy in many things but what he most loved was painting. Robyn painted his Folk Art pictures...
Category

1990s American Folk Art Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Plywood

Rare and Original Antique Bentwood Thonet Child's Chair 19th Century Furniture
By Thonet
Located in Lisse, NL
Marked and original children's chair, the 'Kindersessel nr 1.' This 19th century Thonet chair for a child dates from circa 1860-1880 and the name Thonet needs no further introduction. This rare piece is in excellent and original condition. It is as stable as the day it was hand-crafted and the undamaged upholstery is almost certainly original too. The stunning seat with its beautiful pattern and colors is either filled with straw or with horse's hair. This small and rare Thonet chair...
Category

19th Century Austrian Biedermeier Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Fabric, Bentwood

Baker Furniture Georgian Carved Mahogany Tilt Top Pedestal Tea Table
By Baker Furniture Company
Located in South Bend, IN
A gorgeous Georgian or Chippendale style carved mahogany tilt top pedestal tea table By Baker Furniture USA, Circa 1980s Measures: 25"W x 2...
Category

Late 20th Century American Georgian Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Mahogany

American Chinese Chippendale Tripod Tilt Top Table - Co. of Master Craftsmen
By Company of Master Craftsmen
Located in Dallas, TX
PRESENTING a LOVELY Early 20th century American piece, made circa 1930. Chinese Chippendale Style Tilt-top tripod table with frieze Gallery. Made of solid dark mahogany. Great condition! Manufactured by the 'Company of Master Craftsmen' and is correctly stamped in the base of the tilt-top, with an eagle crest. and the serial numbers 'D16389' and 'J1524'. Would have been retailed by W.& J. Sloane in New York City. Provenance: Bought from a reputable Dealer in Ireland. Dimensions: Top Down: 28.5 in High with diameter of top being 23 in Top Up: 39 in High THE Company of Master Craftsmen: The Company of Master Craftsmen was founded in 1925 as a subsidiary of W. & J. Sloane. W. & J. Sloane, based in New York City, was one of the oldest and most established furniture makers and retailers in the U.S. It had a history of furnishing many of the finest homes in the country including the Breakers and the White House. William Sloane Coffin Sr., who was President of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York and an executive with the Sloane Company, founded the Company of Master Craftsmen to make colonial style furniture. The company worked closely with the Metropolitan Museum’s American wing, reproducing rare pieces from the collection to decorate the homes and offices of many of New York’s and the country’s elite. The Company’s production was quite limited during its’ thirty years in business making their pieces quite rare and very collectible. Today, a number of museums including the Metropolitan Museum in New York and the M.F.A. in Boston have Company of Master Craftsmen pieces in their permanent collections as examples of Fine “revival” furniture. W. & J. Sloane: The company was founded as a rug importer and seller on March 2, 1843, by William Sloane who had just emigrated from Kilmarnock, Scotland, a town famous for weaving Fine carpets and rugs. In 1852 his younger brother John W. Sloane joined the firm, when it was renamed W. & J. Sloane. It was the first company to import oriental carpets into the United States. It soon expanded to include furniture and other home furnishings, and quickly became the choice of the elite in New York. In the late 19th century the company added an antiques department, started producing furniture, and became the first home furnishings store in the country, Billing itself as "W. & J. Sloane Interior Decorators and Home Furnishers." Its flagship store was originally located at Broadway and 19th Street, in "Ladies' Mile", relocating later to 414 Fifth Avenue at 38th Street, former flagship of Franklin Simon & Co. In 1891, W. & J. Sloane incorporated and set the national decorating taste of the United States, and over the next sixty years decorated the homes of the most prominent people in the country, including the Breakers and the White House, created Hollywood movie sets, and even designed and decorated interiors of automobiles. It opened a branch in San Francisco, California originally to furnish pavilions at the 1915 Panama-Pacific Exposition (it also furnished the model homes at the 1939 New York World's Fair). It later acquired other upscale firms such as the California Furniture Company, and in 1925 a subsidiary, the Company of Master Craftsmen was founded by William Sloane Coffin, Sr. (the father of Rev. William Sloane Coffin) to create colonial revival furniture. During World War II the company worked with the Newport News Company and the North Carolina Shipbuilding Company on shipbuilding contracts for the United States Navy fitting out the interiors of liberty ships under the direction of John Sloane...
Category

Early 20th Century American Federal Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Mahogany

Pair of 18th Century Portraits of Emperor Francis I and Empress Maria Theresa
By Martin van Meytens
Located in Essex, MA
Pair of oil portraits of Empress Maria Theresa and Emperor Francis I of Austria 18th century, in the manner of Martin van Meytens (Dutch/Swedish,...
Category

Late 18th Century Austrian Rococo Antique Americana and Folk Art Antiques and Collectibles

Materials

Paint

Recently Viewed

View All