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 Swiss Black Forest Hand-Carved Oak Jewelry Box
Located in Meulebeke, BE
Switzerland / 19th century / Black ForestJewelry box / oak / Antique An exquisite example of 19th-century Swiss artisanal craftsmanship. This Black Forest jewelry box is richly hand...
Oak
Large Folk Art Wood 4 Drawer Jewelry Box Chest of Drawers
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Folk Art Jewelry Box or Miniature Tabletop Sized Chest of Drawers. This vintage wood piece with four drawers has lots of character and patina. Each drawer features a hand painted lea...
Wood, Paint
Pair of 20th Century Jewelry Boxes with Carved Soapstone Dragonflies, Vietnam
Located in North Miami, FL
Pair of mid-20th century wood jewelry boxes with carved soapstone dragonflies, Vietnam By: unknown Material: soapstone, stone, wood Technique: carved, hand-carved, hand-crafted Dime...
Stone, Soapstone
19th Century Tramp Art Jewelry Box
Located in High Point, NC
19th century tramp art jewelry box from England. The box has a domed top with layers upon layers of molded edges, leading up to a graceful formed...
Fruitwood
Tramp Art Jewelry Box - Wooden Decorative Box - Green Velvet Top - America 1910s
Located in ROUEN, Normandie
Tramp Art Jewelry Box - Wooden Decorative Box with Green Velvet - America 1910s Striking American Tramp Art jewelry or decorative box, hand-carv...
Velvet, Wood, Fruitwood, Pine
Tramp Art Box or Chest, Early 20th Century
Located in London, London
Tramp Art Box or Chest, Early 20th Century Finely detailed tramp art box, hand-carved from layers of chip-carved wood and embellished with brass tacks. The intricate geometric cons...
Wood
$1,261Sale Price|27% Off
1810 Table Box, Red Floral Painted, Central Europe
Located in Vo', Veneto
Painted table top box/case Measures: H.30 cm, W.48 cm, D.32 cm Small hand-painted Tyrolean antique box, with red background. Decorated on all sides...
Fir
Antique Rajasthani Footed Chest Box, Hand-Carved Wood & Iron, 1900s
Located in Moreno Valley, 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 ...
Metal
Rare Asian camphorwood jewelry box from the 1950s
By Mice di rugiano domenico e c. s.n.c.
Located in Cantù, IT
Rare Asian camphorwood jewelry box from the 1950s
Wood
18th Century Round Lacquer Wood Erotic Tobacco Snuffbox
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Small round 18th century tobacco snuffbox or pillbox with two painted separate scenes. Very versatile piece that could also hold jewelry or small trinkets. This piece makes a wonderf...
Wood, Lacquer, Paint
Italian Jewelry or Decorative Box, Early 20th Century
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Early 20th Century Italian jewelry box. This sweet petite box is a perfect piece to hold jewelry or any small collectibles. Sitting atop a vanity, d...
Wood
$380Sale Price|20% Off
Large Antique Carved Painted Collectibles Box with Lions
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Antique carved wood painted box featuring two lions. This rectangular box features a hinged lid made of iron. The box is perfect for collectables as well as securing important docume...
Metal
$2,400Sale Price|20% Off
Polychrome Semi-Precious Stone Hexagonal Inlaid Box, 20th Century
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A finely crafted polychrome semi-precious stone box featuring an intricate hexagonal mosaic inlay composed of richly colored natural stones. The lid displays a jewel-like honeycomb p...
Stone, Onyx, Granite, Marble
Handcrafted Creative Critters Animal Figurine Jewelry Box Tropical Wood, Pair
Located in Miami, FL
A pair of handcrafted animal figures, sculpture, keepsake or jewelry box. Made out of the finest fruitwood and tropical beechwood planks laminate i...
Beech, Hardwood, Fruitwood
$421Sale Price|20% Off
Folk Art Jewelry Box from the 1940s in Copper with Women Nude
Located in Berlin, DE
This charming jewelry box from the 1940s was made out of copper and is hand-dented. It shows a nudist art of a woman. It is in a beautiful original condition. A unique piece whic...
Copper
Vintage Wood 2 Drawer Spool Jewelry Box Chest of Drawers, 1920's
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Charming antique spool cabinet, also known as a thread cabinet or country store cabinet. These cabinets were used in general stores and haberdash...
Wood
Vintage Hand-Painted Wooden Jewelry Trinket Box - Folk Art Style
Located in Seattle, WA
This charming vintage wooden jewelry box features hand-painted floral designs in a traditional folk art style. With vibrant, delicate flower...
Wood
Antique Hand Painted Four Drawer Jewelry Casket or Decorative Box
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This antique four drawer wooden jewelry or decorative box is unmarked, but believed to date to the early 20th century. The top and sides of the box are ornately painted with borders ...
Softwood
19Thc Mini Child's Blanket Chest From Pennsylvania
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fine 19thc original old surface mini blanket chest or child' s chest from Lancaster County,Pennsylvania.
Wood
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. ...
Brass
Early 19th Century Miniature Writing Desk Jewelry Box
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
This vintage miniature wood box has six drawers and lots of character and patina. Some of the drawers are lined in faux marbleized paper. We see this wonderful piece being used to st...
Metal, Brass
Antique Jewelry Box Art Deco Period
Located in New York, NY
A beautiful antique Art Deco period jewelry box, styled by Jacques Kreisler, circa early-20th Century, New York, New York. Box is an aubergine ...
Metal
$3,821
H 11.82 in W 10.63 in D 5.91 in
Rare Antique 4 Tier Black Forest Jewelry Box Fruitwood 19th Century Hand Carved
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
A beautiful, very finely carved antique black forest jewelry box from the late 19th/ early 20th century made in Switzerland. A large and impressive four-tiered piece with 6 swing o...
Fruitwood
Pair of Lacquered Wood Boxes, China, 20th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
"Pair of Lacquered wood boxes, China, 20th century" 6 cups each inside, perfect condition. Contact us before ordering to confirm product availability.
Wood
Tramp Art Carved Wood Box, American Folk, circa 1880–1920
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A well-executed example of American tramp art, this lidded box features all-over chip carving in the layered notch technique characteristic of the form. The stepped pyramid base adds...
Wood
Miniature 19th Century Victorian Figured Mahogany Chest of Drawers
Located in Morristown, NJ
19th c. Charming antique miniature chest of drawers. The chest has a marble top. The case is figured mahogany, with four stacked drawers, the ...
Marble, Brass
Early 20th Century French Wood Box
Located in Burton, TX
Found in the South of France, this wooden box was handmade in France in the early 20th Century. The piece presents nailhead trim around the edges, a brass handle on the top and a met...
Wood
Swedish 19th Century Folk Art Painted Wooden Box
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A painted 19th Century Scandinavian Folk Art wood box, with blue and red. These boxes were used for multiple purposes, eg to transport during long trips important documents and priva...
Wood, Paint
$1,200
H 5.5 in W 11 in D 6 in
Decorative Wood Carved Tramp Art Keepsake Box or Sailors Valentine with Heart
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A superb Folk Art sailors valentine Tramp Art keepsake box. Wide in form, this beautiful Primitive wood carved box features the letters S and M with a heart between on both sides. Tw...
Metal
Oval jewelry box carved walnut swiss 19th century Black forest
Located in Ijzendijke, NL
This exceptional 19th-century Black Forest jewelry box from Switzerland is a true work of art, featuring a rare oval shape. Nearly 150 years old, the walnut wood has developed a beau...
Velvet, Wood
Silver Plated Keepsake Box, Early 20th Century
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Offered is a silver plated keepsake box, dating to the early 1900s. The hallmarked box offers great storage solution for jewelry, cufflinks, and other keepsakes, with a divided inter...
Silver
Large Gilt Bronze Feuille Box by Line Vautrin
By Line Vautrin
Located in Atlanta, GA
A large cast bronze powder box (poudrier) by French Parisian art jeweler Line Vautrin (1913-1997) circa 1945-1950. The box called "Feuille" (Leaf) features an irregular leaf form wit...
Bronze
Sold
H 11.82 in W 11.82 in D 9.85 in
Folk Art Jewelry Box - Sewing Box, Wooden House Model, Mid-Century France 1950s
Located in ROUEN, Normandie
Folk Art Jewelry Box or Sewing Box, Wooden House Model, France 1950s Charming mid-century French wooden box in the shape of a small house, handcrafted in the 1950s. A unique piece o...
Wood, Birch, Plywood
18th Century Original Green Painted Wood Box with Handle
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A Swedish green painted pine wood box from the Folk Art Rococo-period, meaning late 18th Century or early 19th Century. The lock hardware is original and the key is working working ...
Iron
Sold
H 1.19 in Dm 2.52 in
Small Danish 18th Century Pillbox or Snuffbox with King Christian 4th Monogram
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Small round Danish 18th century wooden pillbox or snuffbox with royal King Christian the 4th monogram. Very versatile piece that could also hold jewelry or small trinkets. This piece...
Wood
Heart Shaped Love Token Box
Located in Nantucket, MA
Heart shaped mahogany lift top box, domed with heart inlay of fruitwood and stained mahogany. American, circa 1930-1940 Measures: 2 ½” x 8 ½” x 6 ¼”.
Fruitwood, Mahogany
Early 20th Century Persian Hand Crafted Box
Located in London, GB
Early 20th century Persian hand crafted box A hand painted hunting scene at play, covered in wild animals including deers, cats, horses, moneys, tige...
Paper
Sold
H 3 in W 9.38 in D 3.25 in
Exotic Wood Puzzle Keepsake Box Toucan Puzzle Treasure Box Wood Trinket Bird 3D
Located in Miami, FL
Whimsical hand-crafted exotic wood toucan Bird, Animal Sculpture made in Costa Rica. Remove the wood block pieces to reveal the felt lined storage compartment. This Trinket is nicely made and in almost new condition. There are a few signs of wear, nothing eye-catching. A great idea for Your Holiday Gift Collection or a Jewelry storage box...
Wood
Sold
H 12 in W 12.5 in D 7 in
Antique Tramp Art Pink 4 Drawer Wood 2 Tier Pyramid Jewelry Presentation Box
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique Tramp Art Pink 4 drawer wood 2 Tier Pyramid Jewelry Presentation Box. Item features distress painted pink finish, velvet lined interior, 4 draw...
Wood, Paint
Sold
H 3.25 in W 4 in D 3.13 in
Nuremberg Castle Jewelry Trinket Box Metal, Antique German Souvenir, 1950s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Gorgeous vintage metal jewelry box. A beautiful decorative item in metal inside covered with cloth. Made in Germany, circa 1950s. Nice addi...
Metal
Swedish Original Blue Painted 19th Century Box
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A Swedish blue and red painted pine-wood box from the Gustavian period or the early 19th Century. The hand painted flower decoration has still the remaining of the rococo period kind...
Iron
19th Century American Tramp Art Box
Located in Chicago, IL
A charming 19th century American Tramp Art box of architectural form with the lid being a roof with several dormers. The inside retaining its original r...
Wood
Primitive Tramp Art Carved Box
Located in Chicago, IL
A stately vintage hand carved wood tramp lidded box, lined with red velvet. Tramp art refers a style of woodworking from the late 1800s known for its layers of geometric patterns.
Wood, Velvet
19th Century Russian Archangel Carved Whalebone Box
Located in London, GB
19th century Russian archangel carved whalebone box. We are proud to offer a 19th century Russian archangel carved whalebone box decorated with lattice work floral acanthus leaf designs, and pine wooden base. Showing a man and women on horse...
Bone