Folk Art Decorative Objects
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.
Mid-20th Century Japanese Folk Art Decorative Objects
Bronze
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Organic Material
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Brass, Iron
Mid-19th Century Brazilian Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Silver
1970s Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century Chinese Folk Art Decorative Objects
Pine
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood, Burl
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood, Paint
20th Century Folk Art Decorative Objects
Bronze
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood, Cane, Rattan
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects
Driftwood
Early 1900s Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects
Pine
1860s American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Cane, Wood
1880s American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Folk Art Decorative Objects
Stoneware
1870s American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Rattan, Wood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood, Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects
Paper
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Decorative Objects
Rattan, Wood, Paper, Bamboo
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Iron
18th Century French Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Iron
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wicker
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects
Sheet Metal
1960s Greenlandic Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects
Soapstone
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Birch
20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects
Aluminum, Steel, Iron
Early 2000s Australian Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Mahogany, Mother-of-Pearl
1970s Greenlandic Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects
Stoneware
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
1940s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects
Glass
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Pine
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Decorative Objects
Stoneware
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Decorative Objects
Straw
1990s American Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
20th Century South African Folk Art Decorative Objects
Cotton, Wood
20th Century Congolese Folk Art Decorative Objects
Terracotta
1830s Chinese Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Iron
20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood
19th Century British Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Iron
20th Century Colombian Folk Art Decorative Objects
Metal
Early 20th Century Mauritanian Folk Art Decorative Objects
Leather
1910s Danish Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects
Iron
20th Century English Folk Art Decorative Objects
Shell, Fabric, Paper
Mid-20th Century Greenlandic Folk Art Decorative Objects
Soapstone
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects
Metal
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Decorative Objects
Cherry
19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects
Bronze
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Decorative Objects
Metal
Early 20th Century Ethiopian Folk Art Decorative Objects
Wood