Skip to main content

Whimsical Whittler

Vintage Folk Art Hand-Carved Bow Tie Whimsy Chain
Vintage Folk Art Hand-Carved Bow Tie Whimsy Chain

Vintage Folk Art Hand-Carved Bow Tie Whimsy Chain

$600

H 0.75 in W 34.13 in D 0.75 in

Vintage Folk Art Hand-Carved Bow Tie Whimsy Chain

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Whimsical Folk Art chain whittled from one continuous piece of wood (ca. 1930s/40s, USA). Unique

Category

Vintage 1940s American Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Vintage Folk Art Hand-Carved Dual Ball in Cage Whimsy Chain
Vintage Folk Art Hand-Carved Dual Ball in Cage Whimsy Chain

Vintage Folk Art Hand-Carved Dual Ball in Cage Whimsy Chain

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Whimsical Folk Art chain whittled from one continuous piece of wood (ca. 1940s, USA). In addition

Category

Vintage 1940s American Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Wood

Long Folk Art Hand Carved Pine Whimsy Chain
Long Folk Art Hand Carved Pine Whimsy Chain

Long Folk Art Hand Carved Pine Whimsy Chain

$1,200

H 1.25 in W 39.25 in D 1.75 in

Long Folk Art Hand Carved Pine Whimsy Chain

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Wonderful, whimsical folk art chain whittled from one continuous piece of wood (pine, in this case

Category

Vintage 1950s American Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Pine

Folk Art Hand Carved Spruce Whimsy Chain
Folk Art Hand Carved Spruce Whimsy Chain

Folk Art Hand Carved Spruce Whimsy Chain

$800

H 1.1 in W 29.75 in D 1.5 in

Folk Art Hand Carved Spruce Whimsy Chain

Located in Brooklyn, NY

Nice, whimsical Folk Art chain whittled from one continuous piece of wood (spruce, in this case

Category

Vintage 1950s American Folk Art Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Spruce

People Also Browsed

Hermes Riding Crop
Hermes Riding Crop

Hermes Riding Crop

$1,500

H 0.75 in W 19 in D 5 in

Hermes Riding Crop

By Hermès

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Vintage Hermes riding crop with deer antler handle. The shaft is covered in a beautifully braided leather and finished at the bottom with twine. The stag antler is fastened at the to...

Category

Vintage 1960s English Sports Equipment and Memorabilia

Materials

Silver

The Albert, Custom Made Belgian Linen Armchair
The Albert, Custom Made Belgian Linen Armchair

The Albert, Custom Made Belgian Linen Armchair

$5,082 / item

H 31.5 in W 33.47 in D 43.31 in

The Albert, Custom Made Belgian Linen Armchair

Located in Jesteburg, DE

Introducing the home collection. A small selection of timeless Flemish designs made by hand for us in a small third generation workshop in Belgium. Has been used by many influent...

Category

2010s Belgian Modern Club Chairs

Materials

Linen

Large (29") Smooth Undulating White Plaster Shell Pendant Light
Large (29") Smooth Undulating White Plaster Shell Pendant Light

Large (29") Smooth Undulating White Plaster Shell Pendant Light

Located in San Francisco, CA

A plaster pendant in a smooth, undulating shell shape, with scalloped edges. A newer take on Francis Elkins's 1940s plaster plafonnier. Hanging by four white chains; with 3 medium ba...

Category

2010s Chandeliers and Pendants

Materials

Metal

Art Deco Green Malachite Glass Figural Perfume Bottle
Art Deco Green Malachite Glass Figural Perfume Bottle

Art Deco Green Malachite Glass Figural Perfume Bottle

Located in Devon, England

A truly beautiful Art Deco green malachite glass perfume bottle with a female embossed figure to the stopper. Made in Czechoslovakia, this stunning perfume bottle is attributed to Sc...

Category

Mid-20th Century Czech Art Deco Bottles

Materials

Malachite

Willy Guhl Tilted Planters
Willy Guhl Tilted Planters

Willy Guhl Tilted Planters

$1,650 / item

H 16.5 in Dm 25 in

Willy Guhl Tilted Planters

By Willy Guhl

Located in Los Angeles, CA

Tilted concrete "soup-cup" planters by Swiss Architect Willy Guhl. Great patina and coloring to each planter. Excellent vintage condition. Great planter and standalone sculpture for ...

Category

Vintage 1960s Swiss Planters and Jardinieres

Materials

Cement

Fine 19th Century French Neo-Gothic Gilt Metal Cathedral Church Reliquary Pair
Fine 19th Century French Neo-Gothic Gilt Metal Cathedral Church Reliquary Pair

Fine 19th Century French Neo-Gothic Gilt Metal Cathedral Church Reliquary Pair

Located in Forney, TX

A stunning pair of very fine quality French Neo-Gothic gilt metal church reliquaries. circa 1860s Most impressive objets d’art, born in France in the second half of the 19th century...

Category

Antique Mid-19th Century French Gothic Revival Religious Items

Materials

Brass, Bronze

Objects of Desire Book by Maria Hummer Tuttle
Objects of Desire Book by Maria Hummer Tuttle

Objects of Desire Book by Maria Hummer Tuttle

By Maria Tuttle

Located in New York, NY

Objects of Desire By: Maria Hummer Tuttle Photography by Miguel Flores-Vianna Foreword by Edmund de Waal A personal celebration of the hunt for—and joy of living with— favorite coll...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Books

Materials

Paper

Paul Evans for Paul Evans Studio Early and Rare Loop Cabinet in Copper
Paul Evans for Paul Evans Studio Early and Rare Loop Cabinet in Copper

Paul Evans for Paul Evans Studio Early and Rare Loop Cabinet in Copper

Unavailable|$152,000

H 53.15 in W 37.01 in D 21.66 in

Paul Evans for Paul Evans Studio Early and Rare Loop Cabinet in Copper

By Paul Evans

Located in Waalwijk, NL

Paul Evans for Paul Evans Studio, ‘Loop’ wall-mounted cabinet, welded copper with applied verdigris patina, steel, brass, painted wood, United States, circa 1968 Made around 1968, t...

Category

Vintage 1960s American Mid-Century Modern Cabinets

Materials

Brass, Copper, Steel

Venetian Monumental Seated Bird Cage
Venetian Monumental Seated Bird Cage

Venetian Monumental Seated Bird Cage

$425,000

H 168 in Dm 104 in

Venetian Monumental Seated Bird Cage

Located in Queens, NY

Italian Venetian style (20th Cent) octagonal shaped painted and decorated metal and wood bird cage with 8 upholstered seat and back cushions around base. (Franco Zefferelli Collection)

Category

Early 20th Century Italian Rococo Bird Cages

Materials

Metal

19th Century Memento Mori Carved Skull & Cross Bones
19th Century Memento Mori Carved Skull & Cross Bones

19th Century Memento Mori Carved Skull & Cross Bones

$2,769

H 5.91 in W 11.82 in D 6.7 in

19th Century Memento Mori Carved Skull & Cross Bones

Located in Lowestoft, GB

A well executed almost life size skull and crossbones pine carving, depicting the remembrance that we all will pass. Likely a part of a larger religious carving, possibly placed a...

Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Sculptures and Carvings

Materials

Pine

Contemporary Mayan Stone Incense Burners by ACOOCOORO —COPALERA N.° 4
Contemporary Mayan Stone Incense Burners by ACOOCOORO —COPALERA N.° 4

Contemporary Mayan Stone Incense Burners by ACOOCOORO —COPALERA N.° 4

By ACOOCOORO

Located in Mexico City, MX

Part of ACOOCOORO’s Ceremonia special series, Copaleras (incense burners) create a play between their soft appearance, their ceremonial function and natural material: Yucatán Peninsu...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Modern More Candle Holders

Materials

Stone

Set of 12 Handmade Unique Goto Murano Drinking Glasses
Set of 12 Handmade Unique Goto Murano Drinking Glasses

Set of 12 Handmade Unique Goto Murano Drinking Glasses

$561Sale Price / set|20% Off

H 4.14 in W 2.56 in D 4.14 in

Set of 12 Handmade Unique Goto Murano Drinking Glasses

By Roberto Beltrami

Located in Murano, VE

The Murano Glass Goto collection brings a piece of authentic Italian art to your dining table. Hand-blown with artistic expertise, these glasses are inspired by the traditional Venet...

Category

2010s Italian Minimalist Tableware

Materials

Murano Glass

Italian Venetian Grotto Seashell Settee
Italian Venetian Grotto Seashell Settee

Italian Venetian Grotto Seashell Settee

$67,500

H 41 in W 60 in D 29 in

Italian Venetian Grotto Seashell Settee

By Pauly et Cie

Located in Queens, NY

Italian Venetian Grotto (19th cent.) silver gilt settee with triple seashell seat and dolphin & seahorse motif (att: Pauly et Cie, Venice)

Category

Antique 19th Century Italian Romantic Settees

Materials

Silver Leaf

Antique Rowland Ward Signed English Taxidermy Horse Hoof Match Holder
Antique Rowland Ward Signed English Taxidermy Horse Hoof Match Holder

Antique Rowland Ward Signed English Taxidermy Horse Hoof Match Holder

By Rowland Ward

Located in Forney, TX

A rare and important late 19th century Victorian era metal mounted horse hoof match holder by Rowland Ward. Museum quality example, this most unusual curiosity having a gilt brass...

Category

Antique Late 19th Century English Victorian Taxidermy

Materials

Brass

Collection 1900s Edwardian Miniature Tin Toys Farm Animals People and Park Trees
Collection 1900s Edwardian Miniature Tin Toys Farm Animals People and Park Trees

Collection 1900s Edwardian Miniature Tin Toys Farm Animals People and Park Trees

$1,000Sale Price / set|20% Off

H 4.34 in W 4.34 in D 3.15 in

Collection 1900s Edwardian Miniature Tin Toys Farm Animals People and Park Trees

Located in Haarlem, NL

Large collection of tin 1900s Edwardian miniature toy figures. A few tin houses a shed, gazebo's, flower arches, lots of trees and shrubs. Dovecote, pretty fences, a bench, a parro...

Category

Early 20th Century British Edwardian Toys and Dolls

Materials

Metal, Tin

THE THAW
THE THAW

THE THAW

By William Seltzer Rice

Located in Santa Monica, CA

WILLIAM SELTZER RICE (1873 - 1963) THE THAW c 1915-20 Color woodcut, signed and titled in pencil. Image 8 7/8 x 12 inches, sheet 10 3/4 x 14 3/8 inches. On textured fibrous paper. V...

Category

1910s American Modern Landscape Prints

Materials

Color, Woodcut

Get Updated with New Arrivals
Save "Whimsical Whittler", and we’ll notify you when there are new listings in this category.

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.

Finding the Right Folk-art for You

Folk art refers to a genre of art that shares the creator’s traditions, offering not just an artistic display but an opportunity to learn about a culture. Vintage, new and antique folk art typically reflects a heritage or location. It can include utilitarian objects and handmade art as diverse as weather vanes, portraiture and paintings, carnival art, quilts and duck decoys.

American folk art is frequently valued because of the traditional 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. Native American folk art includes functional objects reflecting their heritage, such as baskets, textiles and wooden pieces.

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 folk art on 1stDibs.