Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
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.
20th Century Chinese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Stone, Steel
Late 19th Century Burmese Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Lacquer
20th Century Chinese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Stone, Steel
20th Century Japanese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Clay
20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Soapstone
19th Century Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Teak
Early 20th Century Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Early 20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Late 20th Century Sri Lankan Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Ceramic, Porcelain
19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
20th Century Indian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Hardwood
20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Metal
Late 19th Century East Asian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Hardwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Hardwood
20th Century Balinese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Nepalese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
20th Century Burmese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Lacquer
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
20th Century American Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Teak
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Marble
Early 20th Century Burmese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Teak
Mid-19th Century Burmese Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Teak
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Iron
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Resin
20th Century German Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Iron
19th Century Balinese Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
19th Century Balinese Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Silver
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Iron
Mid-20th Century Balinese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 19th Century Indonesian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Shell, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Early 20th Century African Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Ebony
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Stone
19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Gesso, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Brass
Mid-20th Century South Asian Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Brass
Mid-20th Century Japanese Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Hardwood
19th Century Burmese Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
18th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
1950s Indian Vintage Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Bronze
19th Century Indonesian Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood
Late 19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood, Giltwood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings
Wood