Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
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.
18th Century and Earlier Indian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paint
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Textile, Wood
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wire
Late 20th Century Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather, Hardwood
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut, Pine
Late 18th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
19th Century Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Fruitwood
1960s European Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Composition
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin, Steel
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
1920s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Laminate, Paper
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Silver
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wire
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Silver
Late 20th Century North American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone, Wood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wire
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Stone
Late 19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Steel
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wire
20th Century Indian Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone, Paint
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass, Copper
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wire
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
Late 20th Century North American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Brass
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
21st Century and Contemporary French Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 20th Century Indian Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
1920s Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper, Wood, Glass
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
21st Century and Contemporary French Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary French Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1950s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Antler, Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 20th Century French Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Mohair
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
1970s Vietnamese Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper