Folk Art Building and Garden 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.
Late 19th Century Balinese Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Teak
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Teak
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Pottery
Late 19th Century African Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Bronze
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
20th Century Italian Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Brass
19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Metal, Bronze, Copper
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Metal, Iron
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Cement
1890s American Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century North American Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Copper
19th Century Pakistani Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood
18th Century Belgian Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Gesso, Wood
Early 20th Century Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Brass
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Mid-20th Century Philippine Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wicker, Rattan
1920s Belgian Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
Early 1900s Belgian Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Metal, Steel, Cut Steel
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
Early 1900s Italian Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Early 20th Century Dutch Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic, Clay
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Early 19th Century Asian Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Earthenware
18th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Copper, Metal
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Pine
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Metal
1930s European Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
Mid-19th Century German Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Clay
1890s American Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Stone
20th Century American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Zinc
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Gesso, Wood, Paint
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Metal, Iron
20th Century American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
20th Century American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
19th Century Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
1930s Belgian Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
1880s American Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
16th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
1870s Scottish Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Iron
1910s French Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Dutch Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Stone, Metal
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Concrete
1930s French Vintage Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Pine
20th Century English Folk Art Building and Garden Elements
Earthenware