Set of Eight Folk Art Carnival Punks / Knockdown Dolls
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Folk Art carnival punks / knockdown dolls composed of canvas forms lined with cotton fur supported by carved wood bases for added stability / weight, circa 1910.
Canvas, Cotton, Wood
Vintage 1940s Celluloid Carnival Kewpie Doll--6 Available
By Rose O'Neill
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Makes a lovely unique gift for your cutie, sure to inspire a kiss! Adorable treasure Celluloid Kewpie with cane feathers, top hat, earrings, bracelet and necklace. Moveable arms. Her...
1920s Antique Double-Sided Hand-Painted Game/Carnival Wheel, New York
Located in Buffalo, NY
1920s antique double-sided hand-painted game/carnival wheel. Aranee Doll Co. New York, Nice bright painted graphics, bronze/brass star center, wonderful original patina.
Bronze, Steel
Kewpie Doll W/ Teddy Bear Iron Door Stop
By Hubbly
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fun and folky Kewpie girl cast iron doorstop is quite rare and in original painted surface.Notice she is holding a teddy bear.So amazing to find one like this in undisturbed sur...
Iron
Carnival Figures of Punch and Judy
Located in Essex, MA
Wonderful carved and painted carnival knockdown dolls of Punch and Judy
$4,900 / item
H 34 in W 86 in D 42 in
Custom Made Modern English Arm Sofa in Performance Linen Velvet - 86"
By Bloom Home Inc
Located in Old Town Orange, CA
This beautiful english arm sofa has a modern twist, with its single bench cushion, and beautiful curved apron sides. It’s upholstered in a Linen Velvet Performance fabric. Shown in...
Linen, Velvet
Antique Mexican Demon Mask
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
We offer this rare antique Mexican Demon mask in wood, circa 1970. The mask makes a sound when moved.
Wood
$33,847
H 6.3 in W 15.75 in D 5.91 in
Fossilised Skull of Prehistoric Marine Reptile the Mosasaur, 70Million Years Ago
Located in Puglia, Puglia
Upper Cretaceous, about 70-65 million years ago (Maastrichtian) Morocco The skull is reconstructed in good proportions with fossil pieces found in a phosphate mine in Morocco. I att...
Bone
$18,674Sale Price|20% Off
H 20.93 in W 7.29 in D 6.37 in
Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux (1797-1880) - Skinned, Human anatomical Model
By Dr. Louis Auzoux
Located in Bruxelles, BE
Louis Thomas Jérôme Auzoux (1797-1880) Skinned Human anatomical Model Paris, around 1850 135 cm In the 1820s Louis Auzoux, a French medical graduate made papier mâché dissectable an...
Paper
Vintage Boho Hand Carved Wood Painted Mask
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This expressive carved wooden mask is full of personality and theatrical flair. With its bold eyebrows, curled mustache, and sharply defined jawline, it seems to embody a mischievous...
Wood, Paint
Folk Art Wedding Chest, dated 1718
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A large pine wedding chest from 1718. The illustrations are traditional, featuring flowers and tulips and a village scene on the sides. The chest was part of a dowry package and woul...
Pine
Carousel Day of the Dead Ceramic Mexican Folk Art by Familia Castillo
By Marco Antonio Castillo
Located in Queretaro, Queretaro
Beautiful folk art piece made by La Familia Castillo. Handmade in clay and painted with acrylic paint. Day of the Dead theme. Created by master artisan Soledad Martha Hernández and...
Ceramic
Rustic Carnival Wheel of Fortune Circa 1940s Folk Art Americana
Located in Oakland, CA
Rustic carnival "Wheel of Fortune" circa 1940s, constructed of various solid woods both solid and plywood, the wheel is painted in weathered hues of red and yellow with images of dom...
Metal
1950s Catrin "Dandy" Mask, Tlaxcala, Mexico
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Catrin (Dandy) mask Nahua people, Tlaxcala, Mexico Wood, gesso, paint 1950s-1960s Measures: 7? (17.8 cm) high, 6.5? (16.5 cm) wide, 5? (12.7 cm) deep This mask is called the C...
Wood, Paint
$27,500
H 46.46 in W 101.58 in D 20.28 in
Ernesto Valabrega for Studio Vittorio Valabrega Decorative Fireplace Mantel
By Vittorio Valabrega
Located in Waalwijk, NL
Ernesto Valabrega for Studio Vittorio Valabrega, decorative fireplace mantel, lacquered wood, plaster, glass, iron, Italy, 1930s This striking decorative fireplace mantel, presumabl...
Iron
Massive Antique Folk Art Candle Driven Tiered Windmill Form "Carousel"
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Classic Folk Art Candle-Powered Carousel in the form of a Tiered and Steepled Gazebo. Carved and painted wood in green and off-white with gilt details, Multiple tiers with a center s...
Wood
Folk Art Motorized Ferris Wheel, Custom Made, Metal & Hardwood, 1950s
Located in Douglas Manor, NY
1838 Custom made Carnival Folk Art motorized ferris wheel . Rotates with small lights added set on a wood base
Metal
Large Vintage German Christmas Jumping Jack
Located in Kitzbühel, Tirol
Large vintage christmas jumping jack in wood. The front covered in paper with a beautiful vintage decoration Handmade in the area of Erzgebirge Germany. The area of Erzgebirge locate...
Wood
1950s American Hand-Painted Carnival Ride Panel
Located in Chicago, IL
1950s American hand-painted carnival ride panel.
Mirror, Wood
United's "Carnival Gun" Arcade Game, circa 1954 USA
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage circa 1954 “Carnival Gun” arcade rifle game manufactured by United Mfg. Large Dale-style gun game. As the targets are on the move, use the gun to shoot targets until the 20 s...
Metal
Important Folk Art Trade Sign
Located in Greenwich, CT
A mid 19th Century folk art trade sign of demilune form, depicting a Native American chief holding a peace pipe and tomahawk wearing a headdress of white and red feathers, wearing a ...
Wood
The collection of original antique and vintage carnival art on 1stDibs includes paintings and posters that promoted traveling carnivals and circuses of years past as well as masks, sculptures and other works of folk art associated with widespread public celebrations that mark the start of harvest season or are rooted in religion.
The concept of “Carnival” is linked to an event that precedes Lent, the season of preparation before Easter for Christians (it may also have roots in Ancient Rome’s pagan Saturnalian festival), while the modern traveling carnival that we know — i.e., amusement fairs — existed during the 19th century in North America. The Chicago World’s Fair in 1893 was pivotal to these traveling amusement fairs.
Some of the most famous celebrations of Carnival around the world include Karneval in Germany, Carnival in Brazil and Mardi Gras in the United States. Carnival in Barbados is a traditional harvest festival. The bright colors, the caricatured masks and floats and the over-the-top nature of Carnival continue to enthrall millions across the globe.
Carnivals have always given way to impressive displays of creativity and folk art. Folk art is art created by people who are not classically trained for either utilitarian or decorative purposes. With respect to visual art in folk art, it refers to work that is reflective of a community’s culture and usually handmade by craftspeople working within a popular tradition.
Carnival art reflects the way different cultures celebrate or mark an important community event. Some examples of Carnival art include fabric dolls and marionettes that are used to tell stories and capture your imagination. Antique dolls make for striking collectibles positioned for display on any shelf in your home, while carnival masks make a bold statement as wall art. A collection of masks could create an elevated accent wall in a living room or dining room.
Browse 1stDibs to find unique antique and vintage carnival art for your space today.
At Waddesdon Manor, artist Joana Vasconcelos has installed a three-tiered patisserie inspired by the narrative tile work of her homeland. We take a look at the cake sculpture and how Portuguese tiles have been used in architecture from the 17th century to today.
The streets of fin-de-siècle Paris were set aglow with colorful poster ads, thanks to the printing techniques invented by Jules Chéret. Now, the Milwaukee Art Museum is celebrating this undersung talent in America's first solo show dedicated his exuberant works.
Expert Jeff Bridgman explains the history and meaning behind the twinkling constellations that have graced Old Glory.
The iconoclastic style setter displayed African and Oceanic art, as well as works by indigenous peoples of the Americas, alongside pieces by such major modernists as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.
Perfect for July 4th weekend, a new show at Philadelphia's Museum of the American Revolution displays an array of antique red, white and blue flags.
Designers are beginning to see this enigmatic form of folk art in a whole new light.