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.
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
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
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
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
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
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
$1,275Sale 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
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
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
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
Antique Rajasthani Footed Chest Box India 1900's
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
$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
$425Sale 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
Antique Silver Repousse Islamic Talisman Holder
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Antique Silver Repousse Islamic Talisman box Holder. Large Berber tribal ethnic talisman pendant holder. In triangular shape, silver repousse talisman miniature case which would have stored select verses of the Koran Revelation considered to hold special protective powers. This would have originally been worn by someone to protect from the evil eye. The front has intricate, dense design., the back is plain, the box have been sealed and soldered to protect the scriptures. Large silver triangle pendant with hanging beads, embossed silver metal with geometrical relief and repousse. This beautiful antique ethnic piece could be worn as a piece of jewelry, pendant or pin broch, necklace, pendant. Silver Metal triangle shaped box with eleven hanging charms that will makes sounds to push away any bad spirit when moving. Great Islamic Folk Art, metal work, bold, beautiful and musical. The containers would have also held a miniature paper scroll containing a combination of prayers and Koranic verses. Material: German nickel silver. circa 1920s. Probably from North India, Kashmir, but similar to the North African Berber and Tuareg Jewelry...
Silver
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
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
German Tramp Art wooden keepsake box with date 1903
Located in Livorno, IT
Wooden box carved in the popular art style called Tramp Art the style of woodworking that emerged in America in the second half of the 19th century and then spread to northern Europ...
Velvet, 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
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
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
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
$382Sale Price|49% Off
H 5.5 in W 6.75 in D 3.5 in
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
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
1950s Anglo Indian Micro Sadeli Mosaic Inlaid Jewelry Box
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
1950s Anglo Indian Micro Sadeli Mosaic Inlaid Jewelry Box. DIMENSIONS: 7ʺW × 7ʺD × 2.5ʺH. Indo Persian Moorish style micro mosaic inlaid jewelry box with lid. Intricate inlaid Anglo ...
Bone, Fruitwood
Large Oak Sewing Box, 1950s, Holland
Located in Den Haag, NL
Large Solid Oak wood sewing box ,on wheels . opened with two hinged doors on the top, while the accordion style (with layered shelves that used external hinges to store more stuff in...
Oak
Large Anglo Indian Mosaic Inlaid Jewelry Hexagonal Box 1950s
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Large Anglo Indian Moorish Islamic style micro mosaic inlaid jewelry box with lid. Intricate inlaid Anglo Persian box with floral and geometric Moorish Sadeli design in an hexagonal shape form with micro mosaic marquetry, very fine artwork. Museum collector piece like the one in Doris Duke Islamic Art Museum. The repeating geometric patterns of Sadeli Mosaic are what give it beauty and richness. This decorative technique is a type of micro mosaic featuring repeating geometric patterns. Dimensions: H: 5 in : 12 in W x 12 in. D. Circa 1950s. Sadeli mosaic art is a highly skilled craft, it has had a long history in India and the Middle East with early examples dating back to the 16th century. In the 1800s, it became popular as a decoration on a variety of boxes, card cases, and chess boards imported from India. Since Bombay became a center of making them, they became known as Bombay boxes. The ancient art of Sadeli Mosaic is said to have been introduced from Shiraz in Persia via Sind to Bombay, a long time before Indian boxes appeared. The designs on early boxes look deceptively simple. The fact is they emerged from a culture which had mastered geometry and understood how to generate a pattern from a set number of points. The patterns are so harmoniously combined that their incredible complexity isn’t immediately apparent to the viewer. Will look great in a Moroccan decor...
Wood
Vintage Boho Monumental Tramp Art Box
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
This monumental vintage tramp art box is a breathtaking masterpiece of American folk art, showcasing extraordinary artisanal skill and meticulous attention to detail. Every surface i...
Metal
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, ...
Pine
Hand-Carved Vintage Folk Art Wooden Tramp Art Style Storage Box
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Hand-Carved vintage Folk Art wooden Tramp Art style storage box from Poland. This handcrafted Tramp Art style box is covered with geometric designs creating alternating depths on all...
Wood
$3,865
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
Jewelry Box in Marquetry of the 19th Century
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Jewelry box in Marquetry of the 19th century Jewelry box in wood Marquetry, Napoleon III period, 19th century Dimensions: H: 8cm, W: 15cm, D: 10cm.
Wood
$180
H 4.75 in W 4.13 in D 3 in
Gorgeous Cathedral Cologne Souvenir Trinket Jewelry Box Antique, German, 1950s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Beautiful souvenir trinket box made of metal. A beautiful nice addition to your vanity room or your collection of Grand Tour items.
Metal
French Late 19th Century Onyx Champlevé Jewelry Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Beautiful onyx and gilt bronze champlevé enamel jewelry box in a chest design; made in France in the Late 19th Century, having a soft red velvet interior and impeccable hand-painted ...
Onyx, Bronze
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
Hand Carved Wood Tramp Folk Art Lidded Pedestal Box
Located in Chicago, IL
Vintage hand carved wood tramp Folk Art lidded pedestal box. Lined with red velvet material.
Velvet, Wood
Tyrolean Painted Box
Located in Vo', Veneto
Red Tyrolean painted box Measures: H.17 cm - L.41 cm - P.26 cm Hand painted antique Tyrolean box, with red/brown background. Decorated on all sides...
Fir