Folk Art Sculptures
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.
Early 20th Century African Folk Art Sculptures
Ebony
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Bentwood
1890s Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Sheet Metal
1910s French Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Pottery
Early 20th Century Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
1880s American Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Copper, Iron, Zinc
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Sculptures
Metal, Copper
Early 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Sculptures
Wood, Paint
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Iron
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
2010s Canadian Folk Art Sculptures
Iron
20th Century African Folk Art Sculptures
Metal
1870s American Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Copper, Iron, Zinc, Gold Leaf
20th Century American Folk Art Sculptures
Pine
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Metal
Early 1900s Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Bronze
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Sculptures
Ceramic, Pottery
19th Century Balinese Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Sculptures
Wood, Giltwood
1950s English Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Ceramic
19th Century European Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Bronze, Wrought Iron
1880s American Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Belgian Black Marble, Bronze
Early 20th Century European Folk Art Sculptures
Brass, Bronze, Copper
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Paper
20th Century Czech Folk Art Sculptures
Concrete
Late 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Sculptures
Paper, Plaster
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Ceramic
1970s Central Asian Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Hardwood, Paint
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Sculptures
Steel
1930s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Terracotta
1920s Belgian Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Oak
Mid-20th Century European Folk Art Sculptures
Brass, Copper
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
Mid-20th Century Kenyan Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
20th Century American Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
19th Century Balinese Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
20th Century Folk Art Sculptures
Wood, Paint
18th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Paint, Wood
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Sculptures
Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Folk Art Sculptures
Ceramic
20th Century North American Folk Art Sculptures
Iron
Early 1900s French Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Steel
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Sculptures
Ceramic, Pottery
Early 20th Century Scandinavian Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Wood, Paint
1990s American Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
1950s Portuguese Vintage Folk Art Sculptures
Pottery
1890s Laotian Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
Mid-20th Century Brazilian Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
1990s Folk Art Sculptures
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Folk Art Sculptures
Wood
Early 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Sculptures
Wood, Gesso, Paint
19th Century Peruvian Antique Folk Art Sculptures
Marble
20th Century American Folk Art Sculptures
Sterling Silver
Late 20th Century Southeast Asian Folk Art Sculptures
Glass, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Sculptures
Ceramic, Pottery