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.
1850s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Linen
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Hardwood
1990s Italian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1850s Romanian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Beech
1980s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1910s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1930s English Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Silk, Cotton
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch, Pine
1910s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Fabric, Pine
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Oak, Paint
19th Century Norwegian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Balinese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Paint
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Late 20th Century Cuban Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pewter
Early 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Faience
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Tin
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Steel
1990s American Folk Art Furniture
Cane, Rattan, Wood
1830s Scottish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch, Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
1970s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wool, Birch
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Cedar
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Silk
1890s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch, Pine
1970s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wool, Birch
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Linen
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Mid-20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Ceramic
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
1830s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1890s European Antique Folk Art Furniture
Oak
Early 20th Century Tibetan Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Cotton
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Seagrass
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Gold, Brass, Metallic Thread
2010s Ukrainian Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1960s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Boxwood, Fruitwood
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Early 1900s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Epoxy Resin, Maple
Mid-18th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint