Folk Art Decorative Boxes
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.
to
32
171
8
92
71
25
29
3
1
1
2
3
5
2
2
1
1
889
589
536
478
174
171
146
107
95
92
87
82
82
75
60
43
21
20
142
61
55
39
23
84
82
97
65
56
29
27
Height
to
Width
to
171
171
171
5
1
1
1
Style: Folk Art
Antique Swedish Wooden basket 1800's Handmade Folk Craft Blue and black
Located in Forest, BE
Swedish antique pine and birch wooden storage box. It was painted blue with black edges. Fine quality of bentwood. It is a true piece from the early 19 century. More units could be f...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Birch, Pine
Swedish Marriage Box
Located in Greenwich, CT
A Swedish dowry box presented to the bride by her parents on the occasion of her marriage, decorated with homemade pigments in traditional folk-art patterns in faded grey blues and s...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Antique Swedish Wooden basket 1800's Handmade Folk Craft natural color
Located in Forest, BE
Swedish antique pine and birch wooden basket. It was left with the natural wood who now have a charming patina. Fine quality of bentwood. It is a true piece from the early 19 century...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Birch, Pine
Faux Malachite Leather Decorative Indian Maharaja Box
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A beautiful unique Indian motif box with a lid. This piece would be fantastic for storing cigars, tv remotes, or miscellaneous items on a dresser or coffee table. The top of the box ...
Category
20th Century Indian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Leather, Faux Leather, Paint
19th Century Blue Swedish Folk Art Chest or Box
Located in Kramfors, SE
Blue folk art chest or box from Sweden. The chest is in untouched original condition with the first layer of original paint. Hand wrought hardware in iron with functional lock and key.
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine
Early 19th Century painted pine blanket box
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Early 19th century painted pine blanket box circa 1828.
Fine example of the traditional method of storage in sweden, utilising the plentiful pine and hand decorating.
Rectangular b...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine, Paint
Large Tramp Art Hinge Lid Box
Located in Mt Kisco, NY
A handcrafted Tramp Art box or small chest. A detailed design on four tapered feet. The interior is lined with white quilted fabric and the lid is fitted with a large finial. The bot...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Swedish Folk Art, Large Vessel, Pine, Sweden, 19th Century
Located in High Point, NC
A pine, large vessel or container produced in Sweden, 19th century.
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine
Superb Antique Folk Art Parquetry Casket Styled Writing Box or Lap Desk
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This exquisite antique parquetry writing box or lap desk is unsigned, but presumed to have been made in Canada in approximately 1900 in a Folk Art style. The box itself, including th...
Category
Early 20th Century Canadian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Softwood
Russian Lacquered Palekh Firebird Folk Art Keepsake Trinket Box USSR 5.5"
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage USSR Russian Firebird folklore / fairy tale keepsake trinket box featuring hinged lid, footed base and red interior.
Palekh
Zhar-Ptitsa (Slavic Firebird)
Chernishova (last n...
Category
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Hardwood, Lacquer
Swedish folk art painted wooden box "Timplåda" with sliding lid
Located in Kvidinge, SE
Painted box with a typical Swedish art work decor, dated 1836.
A 'timplåda' is a traditional Swedish wooden box, handcrafted with care. Popular during the 18th and 19th centuries,
...
Category
1830s Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine
Swedish Folk Art Hunting Box Dated 1802 in Oak
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A Swedish oak-wood box from the Gustavian period dated 1802. The richly carved box with scenes of a dog hunting a deer, doves flying and black grouses. Decorated with a pattern of ro...
Category
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass, Iron
Russian Hand Painted Lacquerware Palekh Miniature Table Box
Located in Forney, TX
A rare and exceptional finely painted vintage Imperial Russian lacquerware box.
Exquisitely hand-crafted in the Palekhsky District (Палех) of wes...
Category
20th Century Russian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Lacquer
1960s Vintage Asian Large Hand Carved Wooden Humidor Footed Box
Located in North Hollywood, CA
1950s Vintage Asian Large Hand Carved Wooden Humidor Box.
Hand-carved Kashmiri style Mid 20th century wood box richly decorated overall with s...
Category
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
19th Century Original Grey Painted Large Candle Box from New England
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic 19th century original grey painted handmade large scale candle box from New England .This wonderful slide top box has such great personality and great construction. It is e...
Category
20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine
Antique Folk Art Box with Carved and Painted Cottage Scenes
Located in Atlanta, GA
Incredible Folk Art hand-carved and painted box with a charming cottage with tiled roof on the hinged lid. Three sides feature scenes of trees behind white fences and the box is rais...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Velvet, Wood, Paint
Vintage Brown Nautical Sailing Ship Wood Box with Hinged Lid
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A vintage nautical theme jewelry or trinket box. This small rectangular brown box will be a great accent on a coffee table, dressing table, or on a bookshelf. It is created from wood...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Metal
Shell Encrusted Rectangular Keepsake Box with Red Silk Lid
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Long rectangular shell encrusted box. Carefully applied shells decorate the top and bottom edges of this red board box in a variety of colors. At...
Category
20th Century English Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Shell, Silk, Paper
Shell Encrusted Rectangular Keepsake Box with Green Silk Lid
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Long rectangular shell encrusted box. Carefully applied shells decorate the top and bottom edges of this green board box in a variety of colors. ...
Category
20th Century English Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Shell, Fabric, Paper
19th Century Large Store Tea Tin Hand Painted Parnall & Sons Bristol, England
Located in Port Jervis, NY
Fabulous and large store tea tin by Parnall & Sons who were the people to see for outfitting your store and much more as the company grew from 1830. Hand painted showing a girl servi...
Category
Mid-19th Century British Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Metal
19th Century Walnut Box With Bone and Mother Of Pearl Inlay
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century walnut box with bone and mother of pearl inlay, whaler made. This beautifully hand crafted box would have been made during the long voyage of a whaling ship. The star in...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Bone, Mother-of-Pearl, Walnut
Antique Rajasthani Footed Chest Box India 1900's
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Antique Rajasthani Shekhawati Merchant's Footed Chest Box India 1900's.
Early 20th Century Indian carved wood storage cash footed box used by merchants in ...
Category
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Metal
Swedish 19th Century Wooden Folk Art Box With Shaving Knives
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A Swedish original painted Folk Art box. From the beginning of the 19th century, used to keep shaving knives and similar supplies. Included 3 knives with the razor blades in English ...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Folk Art 1930 Mechanical Desk Barrel Box In Polychromate Wood
Located in Miami, FL
Folk art desk barrel box.
Very unusual piece of folk art, created around the 1930. This is a mechanical desk barrel box carved in wood and decorated with painting. Shown a man dre...
Category
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood, Paint
Antique Folk Art Grain Painted Blanket Chest with Strap Hinges, Dated 1846
Located in Big Flats, NY
An antique Folk Art blanket chest or trunk offers grain painted wood construction with central date of 1846, strap hinges and interior patch ...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Paint, Wood
Moroccan Berber Tuareg Metal Tribal Flask Overlay
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Great decorative Moroccan Berber Tuareg metal brass powder flask. African decorative brass with front richly decorated with Moorish embossed brass ocverlay. Moroccan tribal powder fl...
Category
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
Old Wooden Tramp Art Box Jewelry Box Trinket Folk Art
Located in Poperinge, BE
Beautiful old tramp art box, jewelry box or trinket, trinket box, made in the first half of the 20th century, Belgium.
Beautiful form of folk art, anyone could make a tramp art obje...
Category
1920s Belgian Vintage Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Glass, Wood
Mid 18th century hand painted traditional Swedish pine chest
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 18th century hand painted traditional Swedish chest/box circa 1750.
Stunning traditional Swedish box hand painted in the original paintwork. Decorated on all sides with swags ...
Category
Mid-18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Iron
Swedish Folk Art 19th-Century Bentwood Box - Svepask
Located in Kvidinge, SE
An old original Bentwood Box from the late 19th century
A beautiful piece full of history in oval shape with amazing patina and style with traces of age and use
"Svepask" was used ...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood, Bentwood, Pine
Collectible spectacular rare big box, casket, tramp art, folk art, 1885, Austria
Located in Wien, AT
This incredibly rare box is made in the famous austrian tramp art around 1880 to 1890, its a extraordinary richly decorated example of these boxes.
The object is rectangular in shap...
Category
1880s Austrian Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
Folk Art, Hand Executed Modernist, Art Deco Airplane /Trinket Box
Located in Buffalo, NY
Folk Art, hand executed modernist, Art deco Airplane sculpture with hand built and painted trinket box.
Category
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Antique Trap Art Keepsake Layered Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Decorated with multiple geometric layers of hand cut wood, featuring a hinged lid opening to a spacious storage with lock (included).
Small mirror inside under the lid.
Velvet gree...
Category
Early 19th Century European Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Mirror, Wood
Asian Burmese Carved Wood Temple Offering Lidded Box
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Burmese bamboo temple offering lidded box, basket.
This kind of wooden basket is used to transport and display offerings to Buddhist temples, in Asia....
Category
Early 20th Century South Asian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Bamboo
19th Century French Folk Art Marquetry Box with Inlaid Star, Jewelry or Chest
Located in ROUEN, FR
19th Century French Folk Art Marquetry Box with Inlaid Star, Jewelry or Cigar Chest
Beautiful decorative wooden box or small chest.
Folk Art from the 1890s, it features an inlaid s...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood, Fruitwood, Nutwood
Small mid 19th century Swedish painted pine decorative box
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Small mid 19th century Swedish painted pine strong box circa 1842.
Beautiful small Scandinavian strong box, presented with scraped back paint to reveal original. Feintly still bari...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Metal
Antique Tramp Art Box / Jewelry Box Carved Brass 1893 Chip Carved War Decoration
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
Gorgeous Tramp Art box / Jewelry box marked 1893 and decorated with brass.
The box contains multiple guns & pike helmets and a lions head holding a brass ring to open the chest.
...
Category
1890s American Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
Vintage Hand Carved Nut Woodenware Catchall, 1960s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Found in Austria at an estate sale, this hand carved nut catchall is perfect for the collector. Nice Mid Century collectible to display ...
Category
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
19th Century Scandinavian Folk Art Carved Oak Table Top Chest
Located in Norwich, GB
A lovely 19th century oak lidded-top table chest with hand carved leaf scrolls and roundel carvings, having swivel carrying handles to the sides.
The chest has a rustic charm and sh...
Category
19th Century European Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Oak, Pine
Collectible spectacular rare big box, casket, tramp art, folk art, 1890, Austria
Located in Wien, AT
This incredibly rare box is made in the famous austrian tramp art around 1890 to 1900, its a extraordinary richly decorated example of these boxes.
The object is rectangular in shap...
Category
1890s Austrian Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass
Wooden Turned Treen Pot, Container or Vide Pouche, England Late 20th Century
Located in London, GB
A skilfully crafted piece of turned treen with an interesting silhouette. The piece opens into two sections leaving an interior space to prize, hide or store a treasure or two. There...
Category
1990s English Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Decorated Box with Overlays
Located in Nantucket, MA
Stained pine with hinged top, decorated with geometric design out of recycled piano keys. The interior with a removable organizing drawer. Illegible names with numbers are faintly wr...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine
French 19th Century Folk Art Leather Box
Located in Buisson, FR
Beautiful weathered Folk Art box made out of wood and covered with leather. Working lock and key.
France, circa 1850
Weathered, small losses.
Category
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Leather, Wood
Mid 19th century Swedish folk art painted box
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 19th century swedish folk art painted box circa 1865.
Good quality swedish pine metal bound box. Decorated with original ragwork paint and blue painted strap work. Hand painte...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Metal
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Box
Located in Chicago, IL
A fascinating and truly unique early 20th century American Folk Art box with the most wonderful Greek temple design with eight blue painted Doric columns around the perimeter and wit...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Early 19th century Swedish hand painted pine blanket box
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Early 19th century Swedish painted blanket box circa 1816.
Traditional rag painted Swedish box which is initialed and dated 1816. Flat top lid which makes it ideal for doubling up ...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine, Paint
19th Century Original Folk Art Painted Chest of Drawers
Located in Godshill, Isle of Wight
19th Century original Folk Art painted chest of drawers.
A Very attractive painted pine chest of drawers, it is decorated with flowers on the top and sides, the drawer fronts and ...
Category
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Paint
19th Century American Birds Eye Maple Wood Box
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century birdseye maple box with brass nail head decoration and iron lock plate and hasp. This box is hand crafted with beautiful dovetail joints visible on the corners, evidence...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Brass, Iron
Small Round Swedish Original Painted Folk Art Box Dated 1792
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A small Swedish 18th century Folk Art box with original paint.
The box is most likely used to keep jewelry and other precious items. Box is carved with inscription "ANNO 1792 DEN 27...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Vintage Handcrafted and Carved Wood Box House Motif, Trinket Box, Keepsake Box
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage handmade beautifully carved wooden trinket box, jewelry box or keepsake box.
Depicting a village scene with Houses & Palm Trees.
Folk Art ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Decorative Mughal Motif Box with Hinged Lid
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A beautiful Mughal motif wood box with a hinged lid. This lovely box will be a great way to hold jewelry or other trinkets. The top features a battle scene with two men on horses in ...
Category
20th Century Indian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Fabric, Wood
Vintage Tin Box Cookie Jar Belsnickel Santa Claus Vintage Germany, 1930s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
This beautiful decorative Christmas Tin Box with Santa or Belsnickle Picture is a true treasure. It was made in Germany, around 1930s. These are very har...
Category
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Tin
Swedish 'Timplåda' Wooden Box, dated 1824
Located in Farsta, SE
Swedish 'Timplåda' Wooden Box, dated 1824
A 'timplåda' is a traditional Swedish wooden box, handcrafted with care. Popular during the 18th and 19th centuries, these boxes were used ...
Category
1820s Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Birch
Colorful Semi Precious Stone Rectangular Jewelry or Trinket Box with Lid
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A beautiful colorful decorative box with lid created from Carrara marble and inlaid with a variety of semi-precious stones. The sides are inlaid with a variety of stones in abstract ...
Category
20th Century Indian Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Stone
Tramp Art Box, Large Scale and Unusual Form. Circa 1900
Located in Stamford, CT
Large scale tramp art box of unusual form. At 2 feet wide quite impressive in scale and equally impressive in the ambition of the craftsman who created it. The geometry of the psuedo...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wood
Antique Swedish Forskrin, Folk Art Travel Box from the 1700s, Original Condition
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique folk art box, a so called Forskrin which was used when travelling for storing documents and valuables around the late 1700s. Made in nor...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Wrought Iron
Antique Swedish Wooden Kitchen Cabinet 1846 Handmade Folk Craft great condition
Located in Forest, BE
Swedish antique pine hand build wooden kitchen cabinet. Made to be used as a dough plater storage to the left side and a storage to the right side. Fine quality of wood. It is a true...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Pine
Antique Swedish Wooden basket backpack 1800's Handmade Folk Craft
Located in Forest, BE
Swedish antique pine and birch wooden backpack storage box. It was use to pickup the berries in the woods. Fine quality of birch bentwood. It is a true piece from the early 19 centur...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Birch, Pine
Antique Swedish Wooden butter storage box 1800's Handmade Folk Craft
Located in Forest, BE
Swedish antique pine and birch wooden butter storage box . Fine quality of bentwood. It is a true piece from the early 19 century. Painted blue and faded trough time. Nice addition...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Boxes
Materials
Birch, Pine
Folk Art decorative boxes for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique folk art decorative boxes 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 decorative boxes created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, folk art, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, softwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art decorative boxes made in a specific country, there are Europe, Scandinavia, and Sweden pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative boxes, popular names associated with this style include Berber Tribes of Morocco, Anthony Redmile London, Arthur Court, and Frank Finney. 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 decorative boxes differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $95 and tops out at $4,600 while the average work can sell for $850.