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Folk Art Building and Garden Elements

FOLK ART STYLE

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.

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Style: Folk Art
Period: 21st Century and Contemporary
Sculpture, statue, garden, wirework, sheep, life-size, folk art, animal, unique
Located in BUNGAY, SUFFOLK
A Pair of Contemporary, Folk Art, Life-Size, Sheep, Wirework, Garden Sculptures Hand-sculpted using multiple layers of painted galvanized wire in white and black. Each sculpture is...
Category

2010s English Folk Art Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Wire

Cast Bronze Door Bells
Located in Calabasas, CA
Cast Bronze Door Bell, styled after the Eames House, Case Study #8, Oaxacan Folk Art Door Bell. The Bell is lost wax cast from a clay Ox Cart Bell sourced from Oaxaca. It has 4 sound...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Building and Garden Elements

Materials

Bronze

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Life Size Bronze Ballerina Statue "pas de Deux" a Dance for Two by Mario Jason
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Bronze Door Knockers Lion Motif 9"
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Bronze Door Handle and Bell Push with Brutalist Design 20th Century, European
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A rectangular bronze push or pull door handle, with Brutalist geometric design, together with matching bell push, mid-late 20th century, European. This is a heavy handle, made of ca...
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Pipe Smoking Resting Vintage German Yard or Garden Gnome Statue, 1920s
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Life Sized Garden Statue of Amalthea and Jupiter's Goat
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Architectural Pair Bronze Bird Door Handles Cast in Bronze
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Vintage Cast Brass Quohog Clam Door Knocker
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A gorgeous cast brass Quohog clam door knocker, perfect for your Nantucket, Cape, or Hamptons home! This piece was designed by Michael Healy, an accomplished Rhode Island artisan. Mi...
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Vintage Cast Brass Owl Door Knocker
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Vintage Cast Brass Owl Door Knocker
Vintage Cast Brass Owl Door Knocker
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2010s English Folk Art Building and Garden Elements

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Wire Rooster Folk Art Planter with Red Comb Yellow Toes and Black Bucket
Located in Topeka, KS
Over-scaled wire rooster planter with a red comb, yellow rubber toes, and a black bucket as planter. It is in purposeful distressed condition, circa 21st ...
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21st Century and Contemporary Folk Art Building and Garden Elements

Dragonfly Mayfly Wall Sculpture Garden Sculpture Reclaimed Metal Jason Startup
Located in Topeka, KS
Incredible reclaimed metal three-dimensional contemporary wall or garden sculpture by Jason Startup. Is it a dragonfly or is it a mayfly? Hmmmmmm? Aren’t you just in love with th...
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Monkey Planter, Ceramic Sculpture by Ardmore from South Africa
By Lovemore Sithole, Siyabonga Mabaso
Located in New York, NY
Monkey planter, ceramic sculpture by Ardmore from South Africa. Sculpted by Lovemore Sithole, and painted by Siyabonga Mabaso. Ardmore ceramic art wa...
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Folk Art building and garden elements for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique folk art building and garden elements for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage building and garden elements created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include building and garden elements, folk art, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with metal, wood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art building and garden elements made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original building and garden elements, popular names associated with this style include OTHR, Devres, Berber Tribes of Morocco, and Hubley Manufacturing Company. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for building and garden elements differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $70 and tops out at $225,000 while the average work can sell for $1,396.

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