Folk Art Architectural Elements
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.
19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood, Paint
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Iron, Metal
1930s French Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Pine
Mid-19th Century Canadian Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
Early 19th Century Asian Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
19th Century Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Steel
Early 1900s Indian Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
20th Century Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
Early 19th Century Asian Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Mother-of-Pearl, Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Late 19th Century North American Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Copper
19th Century Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Iron
19th Century Burmese Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
1890s British Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
1930s Belgian Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Ceramic
1930s Belgian Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century Canadian Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Walnut
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Iron
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Iron
1910s American Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Pine
1940s French Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
1930s European Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Ceramic
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Stucco, Wood
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Architectural Elements
Iron
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Iron
Early 19th Century Moroccan Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
Late 19th Century North American Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Copper
1990s Moroccan Folk Art Architectural Elements
Cement
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Iron
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood, Paint
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Reclaimed Wood
1920s Vintage Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Architectural Elements
Wood
Early 20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Architectural Elements
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Architectural Elements
Iron