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.
1870s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper, Wood, Glass
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Clay
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Antler, Wood
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
Late 18th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century Haitian Folk Art Furniture
Acrylic, Canvas
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Beech
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint, Paper
1920s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Olive
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper, Steel, Tin
Late 18th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paint
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary French Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1980s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta, Paint
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary French Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
1880s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
17th Century Thai Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Fir
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1990s Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
1930s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Masonite, Paint
1940s Belgian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Oak
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mohair, Wood
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Furniture
Earthenware, Paint