Folk Art 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.
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Style: Folk Art
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 Boxes
Materials
Pine, Paint
Decorative Marquetry Box, Folk Art Late 19th Century, France
Located in ROUEN, FR
Decorative Marquetry Box, Folk Art Late 19th Century, France
Beautiful vintage marquetry box for small chest.
Folk Art from the 1890s, it features an inlaid star motif on the lid a...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood, Fruitwood, Nutwood
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 Boxes
Materials
Birch, Pine
Colorful Semi Precious Stone Rectangular Jewelry or Trinket Box with Lid
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A beautiful colorful decorative box with a lid created from Carrara marble and inlaid with a variety of semi-precious stones. The sides are inlaid with a variety of stones in abstrac...
Category
20th Century Indian Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Stone, Jade, Carrara Marble
Antique Swedish Wooden barrel early 1800's Handmade Folk Craft great condition
Located in Forest, BE
Swedish antique pine hand carved wooden barrel. Made to be used as a grain storage. Fine quality of wood. It is a true piece from the early 19 century. Beautiful patina on the inside...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Pine
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 Boxes
Materials
Wood
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 Boxes
Materials
Birch
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 Boxes
Materials
Metal
Antique Box Casket Australien Aboriginal Oil Painting of a Lizard
Located in Munich, DE
This highly unusual wooden box is painted int he tradition of Australien Aboriginies. The box is made from blackened wood and painted with oil colors.
Category
1910s Australian Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood
Fantastic Oversized 19th Century Walnut Wall Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This wonderful handmade walnut wall box has a hinged lift top and is in great condition. This oversize box could be used on a counter or a wall. The construct...
Category
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Walnut
Antique Swedish Folk Art Tea Caddy in Hand-Carved Wood, 19th century
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A fine hand-tooled and ebonized wooden tea canister of Swedish origin - circa 1850-1890. Folk art piece made by an unknown artisan.
Measurements: H: 18 cm, Diameter: 15 cm.
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Oak
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 Boxes
Materials
Paint, Wood
Vintage Indian Handcarved Wooden Decorative Box
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Handcarved wooden trinket box with carved geometric shapes, small handmade ornamental indentations and cream white decor on the lid. Rustic organic ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Metal
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 Boxes
Materials
Birch, Pine
Scandinavian hand painted folk art pine box
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Scandinavian hand painted folk art pine box circa 1850.
Fine example of traditional Swedish hand painted woodenware.
Slight dome topped lid which opens to reveal a unfitted interio...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Pine, Paint
Scandinavian 18th Century Folk Art Hat Or Wick Box
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Large Danish wooden hat or wig box of wood with original painting.
Category
Mid-18th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood
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 Boxes
Materials
Fabric, Wood
19th Century Folk Art Wood Black Painted Box
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Folk Art Wood Black Painted Box, Mid to late 19th Century.
Charming handcrafted black painted box with unbeatable patina. The interior features off white paint and there is a bras...
Category
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Brass
19th Century hand painted tine decorative box
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
19th century hand painted tine decorative box circa 1860.
Good quality Swedish tine box, used for storing valuables or foods for secure storage. This example in it's original blue ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Pine, Paint
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 Boxes
Materials
Glass, Wood
Antique Folk Art Northern Swedish Handmade Flour Box
Located in Kramfors, SE
Folk Art flour box from northern Sweden. The box was made by hand during the mid-1800s from pine and was used to store flour. Boxes like this would be standi...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Pine
Unusual "Stamp" Rose in Box
Located in Riverdale, NY
Unusual "Stamp" rose in box handcrafted "Rose" made of hundreds of French stamps, circa 1950s. Unusual French novelty in its own glass and brass framed casket.
...
Category
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Bronze
VintageScandinavian Folk Art Hand Towel Box in Mixed Woods, 1970s
Located in Esbjerg, DK
Ornate and decorative paper towel box in handcrafted and lacquered wood: teak, oak, mahogany, cherry, walnut etc. It is very practical and offers a cheap ref...
Category
1970s Scandinavian Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood
Pennsylvania Sponge Decorated Box On Later Stand
Located in Essex, MA
Square form with hinged lid with original brass bail handle. Faux bois decoration. The matt black painted wood base with square section legs and H form stretchers.
Category
1840s American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Pine
Swedish Folk Art, Large Vessel, Pine, Sweden, 19th Century
Located in High Point, NC
A pine, large vessel produced in Sweden, 19th century.
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Pine
Wrought Iron Hand Painted Folk Art Train Mailbox
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Unique, Large and functional wrought Iron Mailbox. The piece is a functional mailbox with a pull handle in the front, several train cars, with the last being open to hold boxes and ...
Category
20th Century Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wrought Iron
Anthony Redmile Shell Encrusted Duck or Swan Box Redmile Objects London England
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Beautiful RARE Anthony Redmile shell encrusted swan or duck form box, 20th c.
Red lined interior with "redmile objects london - england' stickers. Substantial weight.
Category
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Shell, Lacquer
Antique African Moroccan Tribal Wood Flask 19th C.
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Antique North African Moroccan tribal wood flask.
Rare late 19th century powder flask box from the Rif, Northern Morocco with a drum-shaped body hand carved wood with ethnic motifs, nice geometric carvings and very fine patina.
Collector large carved wooden vessel with brass embossed in the shape of a turtle with a long neck.
Dimensions: 11"L x 3" H x 5" diameter.
Designed with practicality in mind, this flask features two robust metal rings on the side, perfect for securely attaching it to a belt or satchel, making it an ideal companion for hunting. The upper, narrower section includes a precisely drilled hole, providing easy access to the powder inside, underscoring the flask's functional yet artistic design.
This wood gunpowder flask...
Category
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Folk Art 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 Boxes
Materials
Wood, Paint
Pair of 19th Century Ceramic Parrot Money Banks, Bornholm Denmark
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Pair of 19th century ceramic parrot money banks, Bornholm Denmark.
Category
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Ceramic
Folk Art Hand-Carved Wooden Box with Grapes and Leaves
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Breathtaking folk art hand-carved wooden box with grapes, vine and leaf detail.
This Dionysian solid wood box is a compliment to any kitchen, great for recipe cards or tea bags. Can also be used for mementos, 420, or a vintage postcard collection.
Category
20th Century Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood
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 Boxes
Materials
Stone
Vintage Handcrafted and Carved Wood Box Leaf Motif, Jewelry Box, Keepsake Box
Located in Miami, FL
Vintage handmade beautifully carved wooden box, jewelry box or keepsake box.
The Inside has 2 compartments which measure 3.38 x 3.38 inches.
No makers mark.
A-916-335
Category
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood, Walnut
Furniture > Decorative Objects > Boxes > Decorative Boxes
Located in North Hollywood, CA
African Moroccan Wood and Leather Flask 19th century wood and tooled leather.
A North African Moroccan wood and tooled leather powder flask finely with brass nails.
are antique 19th century handmade leather and brass flask.
Rare late 19th century powder flask box from the Rif, Northern Morocco with a drum-shaped body hand carved wood with ethnic motifs, nice geometric carvings and very fine patina.
Collector large carved wooden vessel with brass studded in the shape of a turtle with a long neck.
Designed with practicality in mind, this flask features two robust metal rings on the side, perfect for securely attaching it to a belt or satchel, making it an ideal companion for hunting. The upper, narrower section includes a precisely drilled hole, providing easy access to the powder inside, underscoring the flask's functional yet artistic design.
This wood gunpowder flask...
Category
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Leather, Wood
Mid 19th century Swedish painted table top writing desk
Located in Debenham, Suffolk
Mid 19th century swedish painted table top writing desk circa 1850.
Good quality table top bureau, presented in original scraped back paint. M...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Pine, Paint
Burmese Red Carved Wood Temple Offering Box
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Burmese red lacquered temple offering box called "Hsunok".
Burmese offering basket made of carved bamboo wood painted and lacquered in hues of red and oranges.
The lid adopts a Burmese temple shape, with a sharp top surmounting a gadroon dome.
This kind of basket is used to display offerings to Buddhist temples, in Asia.
During most of the 19th century Burma was ruled by members of the Konbaung dynasty, the last dynasty that would rule the country.
This Asian Burmese red offering...
Category
Early 20th Century South Asian Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Bamboo
Antique Wooden Tramp Art Box Trinket Folk Art Unique Piece
Located in Poperinge, BE
Antique wooden rectangular tramp art box with hidden keyhole, elaborately decorated panels, stained dark brown. Folk art collector's item with a beautiful age patina from the early 2...
Category
Early 20th Century European Folk Art Boxes
Materials
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...
Category
Early 20th Century Italian Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood
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...
Category
1940s German Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Copper
Folk Art Painted Document Box 19th Century American
Located in Hudson, NY
A spectacular and fine, painted and stenciled, pine documentbox. The original blue paint having turned a dark green over time with the varnished finish, typical of Boston pieces. Yo...
Category
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Brass
Antique African Moroccan Tribal Carved Wood Flask 19th C.
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Antique North African Moroccan tribal wood flask.
Rare late 19th century powder flask box from the Rif, Northern Morocco with a drum-shaped body hand carved wood with ethnic motifs, brass studded nails, nice geometric carvings and very fine patina.
Collector large carved wooden vessel in the shape of a turtle with a long neck.
Dimensions: 10"L x 3" H x 5.75" diameter.
Designed with practicality in mind, this flask features two robust metal rings on the side, perfect for securely attaching it to a belt or satchel, making it an ideal companion for hunting. The upper, narrower section includes a precisely drilled hole, providing easy access to the powder inside, underscoring the flask's functional yet artistic design.
This wood gunpowder flask...
Category
Late 19th Century Moroccan Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Brass, Bronze
Moroccan Brass Berber Tribal Flask
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Great decorative Moroccan Tribal flask..
African decorative brass with front richly decorated with embossed brass and overlay.
The valve stem turns and open.
Truly a conversation mu...
Category
Early 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Brass
Round Primitive Ceramic Decorative Trinket Studio Pottery Dish with Lid in Brown
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A round studio pottery trinket dish in brown. This piece will be perfect for a nightstand, coffee table, or bar. It is round and glazed in a deep brown. The lid on the top features a...
Category
20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Ceramic, Clay
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...
Category
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Beech, Hardwood, Fruitwood
Petite Indian Swivel Box
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite keepsake box with a swivel lid is crafted in the tradition of Indian bidri-ware, with a dark metal body decorated with simple silver inlay. Composed of a zinc and copper ...
Category
20th Century Indian Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Metal, Silver
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 ...
Category
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Softwood
1960s Vintage Moroccan Inlaid Hexagonal Wood Box
Located in North Hollywood, CA
1960s Handcrafted Bone Inlaid Trinket Moroccan Wood Trinket Box.
Handmade artisanal mid century inlaid trinket decorative lidded Moroccan box.
This hexagonal shaped decorative box ha...
Category
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Bone, Fruitwood
3 19th century Hand Made Treen Items, Pounce, Plumb Bob, Bodkin
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
3 19th century Hand Made Treen Items, Pounce, Plumb Bob, Bodkin
An interesting sewing item with a bodkin, needle case and thread winder in one, a Sycamo...
Category
19th Century Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Sycamore
Early 20th Century European Ceramic Tobacco Jar with Pipe and Nautical Motifs
By Fornasetti
Located in SOTTEVILLE-LÈS-ROUEN, FR
A rare and highly decorative early 20th century ceramic tobacco jar, likely of European origin. This finely crafted piece features intricate black transfer designs of assorted pipes,...
Category
Early 20th Century European Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Folk Art "American Eagle" Silhouette Decorative Box
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Folk art decorative box with eagle motif in attractive red paint (ca. 1910-1920, USA). The hinged top opens to reveal a divided storage compartment, per...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood, Paint
Javanese Solid Teak Storage Box with Engravings Mid-20th Century
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
This teak storage box comes for the Island of Java, Indonesia. Dating to the Mid-20th Century it was crafted from a single block of teak. It features ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Teak
Antique French Folk Art Keepsake Box
Located in Charleston, SC
This beautiful hand decorated keepsake box has a beautiful green velvet on the outside. The top shows a metal cross with shell decorations. The inside is Lined with a silk green on t...
Category
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Metal
Hand-Painted Folk Art Box
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Modern folk meets old-school charm. This hand-painted farmhouse-style box features a slanted, hinged lid, a lower drawer, and all the sweet details—hearts, tulips, scallops—that nod ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood
Antique French Storage Box with Hand-Painted Clown Motif
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Ca. late 19th century French oak storage box with hand-painted 'clown' decoration to the top and a floral motif to the bottom component. Attractive color...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Oak, Paint
19th Century Tramp Art Box with Chip-Carved Decoration, Date and Velvet Inside
Located in Atlanta, GA
A 19th century Tramp Art rectangular wooden box featuring elaborate chip-carved decoration. Each side of this box is adorned with hand-carved tiered frames of four-layered notches, characteristic of the traditional chip-carving technique of Tramp Art, a 19th century form Folk Art that transforms salvaged materials into furniture and art. The lid, attached to the base with hinges, is covered with a burgundy velvet pad bordered by a chip-carved trim centered around a carved lion head. The lid, which lifts by a ring pull, opens to reveal a velvety green storage...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Wood
19th Century Indonesian Red and Black Lacquered Document Box with Brass Handles
Located in Middleburg, VA
This 19th century red and black lacquered Indonesian document box is a beautiful way to keep your important papers tucked away. Made of richly patinated teak with intricate red and b...
Category
19th Century Indonesian Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Teak
Folk Art Boot and Shoe Cleaning Box with Foot Shaped Shoe Rest
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Folk Art Boot and Shoe Cleaning Box with Foot Shaped Shoe Rest
A handy and attractive little piece, the handle of the polish box doubles up as a rest to put the foot on to polish t...
Category
1960s Vintage Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Pine
Scandinavian Tine, or Svepask, Painted Bentwood Oval-Shape Box
Located in Houston, TX
Scandinavian tine, or svepask, painted bentwood oval-shape box circa late 19th century, probably from the Sogn og Fjordane region. Box is created from thin layers of steam-bent wood ...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Boxes
Materials
Iron
Folk Art boxes for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique folk art 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 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 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 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 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 $848.