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.
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pearlware, Pottery
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Metal
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1960s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paint, Pine
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
1940s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Composition, Metal
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 2000s American Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Mid-19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 19th Century Romanian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century Scandinavian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Brass
1920s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Furniture
Earthenware
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary English Folk Art Furniture
Limestone
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Steel
19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk
19th Century Turkish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Silver
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Majolica
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
17th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Oak
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Paint
1970s Vietnamese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1920s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Laminate, Paper
20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Silver
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Majolica
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century North American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire