Folk Art Boxes
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 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Boxes
Brass
Mid-20th Century East Asian Folk Art Boxes
Paper
1940s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Wood
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Boxes
Brass
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Boxes
Fir
20th Century Indian Folk Art Boxes
Lapis Lazuli, Carrara Marble
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century South Asian Folk Art Boxes
Bamboo
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Brass
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Boxes
Leather, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Wood
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Boxes
Brass, Steel
1810s Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine
20th Century Indian Folk Art Boxes
Lapis Lazuli, Carrara Marble
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine, Paint
20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Shell, Wood
1890s American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Silver Plate
20th Century Italian Folk Art Boxes
Ceramic, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Boxes
Straw
Mid-20th Century New Zealand Folk Art Boxes
Shell
18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Iron
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Iron, Brass
1870s British Antique Folk Art Boxes
Wood, Rosewood
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Boxes
Fruitwood
1780s Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Iron
Mid-19th Century British Antique Folk Art Boxes
Metal
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine, Paint
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Boxes
Brass
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Brass
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Birch
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Copper
20th Century Indian Folk Art Boxes
Stone
1840s Unknown Antique Folk Art Boxes
Bone
1890s Italian Antique Folk Art Boxes
Wood
20th Century Folk Art Boxes
Metal
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Wood
1920s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Pine
1820s Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Wood
20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Boxes
Wood, Paint
20th Century German Folk Art Boxes
Bentwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Wood
19th Century European Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine
Mid-20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Boxes
Wood, Walnut
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Boxes
Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Boxes
Softwood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Wood, Walnut
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Boxes
Walnut
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Pine
1910s American Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Tin
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Boxes
Olive, Boxwood, Walnut
1890s American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Brass
Early 20th Century Italian Folk Art Boxes
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Pine
20th Century Folk Art Boxes
Wood