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Folk Art Decorative Objects

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
Japanese Okimono Bronze Figure of a Rat 1950s
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Japanese Okimono Bronze Figure of a Rat. DIMENSIONS: Height: 6.25 in Width: 4.25 in Depth: 3.5 in. Hand made in Japan circa 1950s. A large heavy vintage bronze statue of a rat made i...
Category

Mid-20th Century Japanese Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

19th Century Small Swedish Folk Art Woven Basket
Located in Kramfors, SE
Northern Swedish small folk art basket made during the mid 1800s. The basket has the original paint. Handmade from tree roots that are braided. Good antique condition consistent with...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Organic Material

19th Century American Birds Eye Maple Wood Box
Located in Stamford, CT
19th century birdseye maple box with brass nail head decoration and iron lock plate and hasp. This box is hand crafted with beautiful dovetail joints visible on the corners, evidence...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Brass, Iron

31 Brazilian Silver Amulets
Located in New York, NY
These 31 Brazilian amulets, or balangada, were hammered from sheets of silver in the 19th century to form pomegranates, sugar apples, guava, and other...
Category

Mid-19th Century Brazilian Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Silver

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...
Category

1970s Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Chinese Folk Painted Tray with Railway Scene
Located in Chicago, IL
This lacquered serving tray is crafted with a hand-painted panel salvaged from a vintage Chinese cabinet. Selected for its charming folk art decoration, the found panel is painted wi...
Category

Mid-20th Century Chinese Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Pine

American Folk Art Hand-Carved Wooden Spindly Snake Sculpture
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Hand-carved wooden spindly stick in the form of snake (ca. late 19th Century, USA). Sinuous body with hand carved scale and facial details with metal nails as eyes. Impressive, long ...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Large Burl Bowl, Sweden, 1960's
Located in Stockholm, SE
Large Burl Bowl. Made in Sweden and dated 1964. Hand carved from one piece of birch burl. A great centerpeice for any table.
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood, Burl

Pair of Hand Carved Wooden Folk Art Masks
Located in San Diego, CA
A very fun pair of hand carved wooden folk art masks circa 1940s. The set is in very good vintage condition and has a hanger on the reverse side; the larger mask...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood, Paint

Vintage Bronze Fire Hydrant Wrench
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Vintage fire hydrant wrench, a solid bronze piece which can still be used as a wrench, however, due to the wonderful sheen and weight makes...
Category

20th Century Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Davis Hall Nantucket South Shoal Lightship Hand Woven Basket, circa 1870s
Located in Studio City, CA
A wonderful and quite rare and hard to find nantucket lightship basket by Davis Hall, (1828-1906). Hall's baskets are prized by collectors of lightship baskets worldwide. This basket is made with his traditional swing handle and rounded lollipop connecting two ends. Hall cultivated his basket-making skill on the South shoal lightship after the American Civil War...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood, Cane, Rattan

Early 20th Century Folk Art Driftwood Dachshund Dog
Located in Nantucket, MA
Early 20th century Folk Art driftwood dachshund, circa 1920, a natural form piece of driftwood that has been augmented with the addition of inset Periwinkle shell eyes, two drilled n...
Category

1920s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Driftwood

1900s Scandinavian Wooden Horse
Located in High Point, NC
Like a mysterious inhabitant of a fairy tale by Hans Christian Andersen, this wooden quadruped crafted in Scandinavia circa 1900 exudes a gentle melancholy of the North. The whitenes...
Category

Early 1900s Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

19th Century Blue Swedish Folk Art Chest or Box
Located in Kramfors, SE
Blue folk art chest or box from Sweden. The chest is in untouched original condition with the first layer of original paint. Hand wrought hardware in iron with functional lock and key.
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Pine

Antique Folk Art Northern Swedish Handmade Basket
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique folk art basket from northern Sweden made during the mid 19th century, around 1840. The basket is made by hand in pine and has the original paint as well as the original deta...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Pine

Swedish Folk Art Carved Tray Original Paint with Owners Marks, 19th Century
Located in Odense, DK
A beautifully worn serving tray handmade in Sweden in the 19th century. Made of wood and with original paint. Owners mark carved underneath.
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Pair of American Folk Art Carved Wood Picture Frames, circa 1900
Located in San Francisco, CA
A pair of hand carved pine Folk Art style wall hanging picture frames. Wonderfully detailed naturalistic tree branch design. American, late 19t...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Pine

Very Early Nantucket Lightship Basket, circa 1860
Located in Nantucket, MA
Very Early Nantucket lightship basket, circa 1860, an oval open basket with wide splint staves, split wood rim, cane weave, solid birch bottom plate, and sha...
Category

1860s American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Cane, Wood

Pair of American Cast Iron Hand Painted Preening Ducks on Squared Base, C 1880
Located in Charleston, SC
Pair of American cast iron hand painted preening ducks resting on squared bases. Late 19th Century.
Category

1880s American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

Gertrud Kudielka for Hjort. Unique ceramic vase. Motif of bird on branch
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Gertrud Kudielka for Hjort, Bornholm. Unique ceramic vase. Motif of bird on branch. White glazed hand-painted stoneware. Mid 1900s. Marked. In perfect condition. Dimensions: Height 1...
Category

Mid-20th Century Danish Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Stoneware

19th Century Nantucket Lightship Half Bushel Basket
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th Century Nantucket Lightship "Peck" or Half Bushel Basket, attributed to Captain Henry F. Coffin (Nantucket: 1813 - 1889), a very large peck measure b...
Category

1870s American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Rattan, Wood

Large Antique Swedish Folk Art Trough Bowl / 19th Century Rustic Decorative Dish
Located in Karis, Nyland
An antique wooden trough from 19th-century Sweden, hand-carved and uniquely authentic, featuring an ownership mark on the base. This piece carries many signs of its age, with an incr...
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood, Pine

19th Century Swedish Folk Art Bowl
Located in Allerum, SE
Good 19th century Swedish folk art turned bowl in it's original finish. Sweden, Signed M, 1865.
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Early Papier Mâché Folk Art Store Display "Stork and Baby"
Located in Buffalo, NY
Early papier mâché Folk Art store display "Stork and Baby". Charming depiction stylized stork and baby, retains original paint, slight damage to beak...
Category

1930s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Paper

1940s Burmese Lacquered Red Tray Large Size Bamboo Thai Stand
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Early 20th century large Burmese lacquered bamboo tray handcrafted red Thai lacquered rattan footed stand. This Thai features a drum shape circular tray top sitting above a body rhythmically accented with spindle motifs, the ensemble resting on a confirming plinth. Burmese (Myanmar) lacquer ware has a long tradition dating back to the 13th century. Lacquer in Burma is called “Thitsi” meaning the sap of a Thitsi Tree (Melanhorrea Usitata). Typically, bamboo and wood are used as a frame or base in making lacquer work. This table tray stand called a “Dang lan”. This stand is constructed with woven bamboo that is then applied with many layers of lacquer. Black lacquered frame covered with red lacquer. A large high quality handcrafted wooden elevated tray...
Category

Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Rattan, Wood, Paper, Bamboo

Distinctive Pair of Forged Antique Folk Art Snake Andirons
Located in New York, NY
Wonderful pair of antique Folk Art snake andirons with inset glass eyes. They were blacksmith made of hand-hammered wrought iron. The artist used pieces ...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

18th Century Carved Wooden Angel
Located in Houston, TX
Carved wooden angel from Private Chapel in Provence. Wonderful detail in Angel's hair and draped dress. Figure is mounted on an iron stand.
Category

18th Century French Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

Vintage Victorian Wicker Fishing Creel
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
A Vintage Victorian Wicker fishing creel An attractive age darkened wicker square Fishing Creel, the Creel stands on stumpy wooden legs and has...
Category

Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wicker

Swedish 19th Century Wooden Folk Art Box With Shaving Knives
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A Swedish original painted Folk Art box. From the beginning of the 19th century, used to keep shaving knives and similar supplies. Included 3 knives with the razor blades in English ...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Folk Art Hunter Carving, circa 1930s
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Hand-carved wooden Folk Art hunter with a sheet metal hat. Original red, white and black paint surface.
Category

1930s American Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Sheet Metal

Greenlandica, Figure of a Walrus Made of Soapstone, Approximately 1960/1970s.
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Greenlandica, figure of a walrus made of soapstone. Approximately 1960/1970s. In good condition, signs of use. Dimensions: L 12.5 x D 4.0 x H 8.0 cm.
Category

1960s Greenlandic Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Soapstone

19th Century Swedish Birch Root Bowl
Located in Kramfors, SE
Birch root bowl in an organic shape and marked underneath with a house mark from the first owner. Untouched original condition with original paint. The wood...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Birch

Folk Art Polychromed Iron Construction Worker Card Holder/ Vide-Poche
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Folk Art polychromed iron construction worker card holder/ vide-poche A whimsical well executed Folk Art sculpture of construction worker caring a...
Category

20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Aluminum, Steel, Iron

Australian Aboriginal Painted Totem Pole from Elcho Island
Located in Atlanta, GA
A hollow log painted with Ocher with a clan-based design. Title: Djirrididi Log Artist: James Patrick Lamuta DOB: 01/04/1984 Medium: Ocher pigment on wood Provenance: COA from Elcho Island Art...
Category

Early 2000s Australian Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Mahogany Jewelry Box with Mirror
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Mahogany box with inlaid mother of pearl and mirror, on small round brass feet.
Category

Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Mahogany, Mother-of-Pearl

Greenlandica. Hand Painted Unique Stoneware Figure, Inuit in Traditional Clothes
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Greenlandica. Hand painted unique stoneware figure. Inuit in traditional hunting clothes. circa. 1970s. In perfect condition. Signed illegibly. Dimensions: W 9.0 x H 20.5 cm.
Category

1970s Greenlandic Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Stoneware

Fine Early 19th Century Swedish Folk Art Turned Bowl
Located in Allerum, SE
Fantastic early 19th century Swedish / Scandinavian finely turned wooden folk art bowl in it's original finish, signed B E D 1817. Sweden.
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Set of Antique Handmade Bottles
Located in Mexico City, CDMX
Circa 1940, we offer this set of antique handmade bottles. The amber bottle has a scratch, but it is not broken. *see pic 3.
Category

1940s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Glass

19th Century Swedish Provincial Spice Box
Located in Allerum, SE
Charming 19th century Swedish provincial spice box in its original condition with two sliding doors and one drawer. The interior contains eight compartments intended for different dr...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Pine

German Folk Art Grey and Cobalt Blue Stoneware Jar
Located in Dusseldorf, DE
A very decorative German folk art grey stoneware jar with cobalt-blue painting from the 1st half of the 20th century. Traditional Westerwald stoneware is a type of ceramic ware that was produced in the lower Westerwald and the Kannenbäckerland in the early modern period. Since the 17th century, it has been one of the dominant types of German stoneware. The technique for producing grey stoneware with cobalt blue painting proved...
Category

Early 20th Century German Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Stoneware

Set of Folk Art Baskets, France, Early 20th Century
Located in Antwerp, BE
Beautiful collection of four folk art baskets, crafted with meticulous skill and care in the time-honored tradition of coiled baskets. Each basket testifie...
Category

Early 20th Century French Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Straw

Monumental 80" Figurative Hand Carved Sculpture by Robert Brady
By Robert Brady 2
Located in Buffalo, NY
Robert Brady was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. Upon graduation from high school he attended the California College of The Arts in Oakland, Ca. receiving his Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in 1969. Later he attended University of California, Davis, receiving a Masters of Fine art in 1975. Recently retired Emeritus, he served as Professor of Art from 1975-2013 at California State University, Sacramento. Trained as a potter, Brady’s interest quickly steered toward a path of ceramic object making and sculpture, ultimately gaining national and international recognition. Approximately 24 years later, Brady, fortuitously discovered the beauty and merits of wood as a sculptural medium. Since then, Robert has produced work in both clay and wood, with an emphasis on wood. Mixed media, bronzes, works on paper and functional pottery are also part of his output. Brady has had over 50 solo exhibits and participated in many group exhibitions throughout the United States, and Europe, both in private galleries and public Museums. His works can be found in permanent collections in galleries and museums such as The Smithsonian (Renwick), The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Arkansas Art Center, Little Rock, and the Stedelijik Museum in Amsterdam, Holland, as well as others. Lastly, his work is found in private collections too numerous to mention. He has received three National Endowment Individual Artist...
Category

1990s American Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Beaded Ndebele Fertility Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire. This colorful example of African beadwork is a fertility doll...
Category

20th Century South African Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Cotton, Wood

Large Figurative African Mangbetu Anthropomorphic Vessel / Jar
Located in Studio City, CA
This is a fantastic piece likely made by the Mangetu tribe of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It is finely detailed and quite large and hefty. These pieces were originally made...
Category

20th Century Congolese Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Terracotta

Chinese rice barrel
Located in 'S-HERTOGENBOSCH, NL
Rice barrel with lid. Decorated with cartouches with flowers and butterflies. China, early 19th century.
Category

1830s Chinese Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

19th Century Folk Art Cast Iron Green Painted Candlestick
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Single French Cast Iron Candlestick In The Original Green Painted Patina, 19th Century
Category

19th Century French Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

Wooden Octagonal Tramp or Folk Art Basket, 20th Century
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
An octagonal decorative wooden tramp art basket. Created from popsicle sticks, this basket is lightweight, perfect for holding remotes or other odds and en...
Category

20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Antique English Iron Clock Dial Face, Country Garden, Fully Working
Located in Belper, Derbyshire
A lovely antique iron English clock dial circa 1840 in its original enamel, charmingly decorated and English country garden flowers. With ancient craquelure, marks of a long life and...
Category

19th Century British Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

Joaquin Taller Tinta Ecuador Bird MCM Sculpture - 1960s
Located in Linkebeek, BE
Wear consistent with age and use. The artisan metalsmith crafted bird table sculptures, heavily influenced by South American historical design elements. Joaquin Taller Tinta Ecuador...
Category

20th Century Colombian Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

African Tuareg Hand-Tooled Black Leather Box
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Hand tooled black leather box from Africa. Very fine workmanship with tribal traditional African symbols on black leather. Tuareg style probably Maurit...
Category

Early 20th Century Mauritanian Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Leather

Danish Piggy Bank for Charity, circa 1920s
Located in Copenhagen, K
Lovely piggy bank with inscription aiming to collect money for the society for children’s footwear. This union was established in 1889 and was still active in mid-1930s.
Category

1910s Danish Vintage Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Iron

Shell Encrusted Rectangular Keepsake Box with Green Silk Lid
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Long rectangular shell encrusted box. Carefully applied shells decorate the top and bottom edges of this green board box in a variety of colors. ...
Category

20th Century English Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Shell, Fabric, Paper

Greenlandica, old hunter with a seal on his back, sculpture in soapstone.
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Greenlandica, an old hunter with a seal on his back. Sculpture in soapstone. Mid-20th century. In good condition with two small chips. Dimensions: H 15.0 cm x W 3.5 cm.
Category

Mid-20th Century Greenlandic Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Soapstone

Pair of Vintage Folk Art Painted Metal Pelican Sculptures
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Pair of pelicans hand crafted in metal in a charming stylized form, painted and ready for a new environment.
Category

Late 20th Century American Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

Wooden Swedish Tree Trunk Sculpture of Mother & Child, Hand-Tooled Piece Unique
Located in Esbjerg, DK
A monumental piece hand-tooled from a trunk-slice of cherry wood. While its backside has a natural look - with a 'golden' patinated surface its showside showcases a rather skillfully...
Category

Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Cherry

Antique Mythical Tiger Finial Bronze Palanquin Handle 18-19th Century
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Antique 18th 19th Century Palanquin Mythical Lion or Tiger Finial Bronze Handle. Large heavy Indian Mythological bronze palanquin fitting cast via the lost wax technique, beautifully stylized and crafted in the form of protective mythological creature. Palanquin finials were used to adorn the pole ends of the palanquin or palki. A fine and massive example of a palanquin pole finial with good detail and fine patina. India, circa: 18th/19thc. The Palanquin handle...
Category

19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Bronze

Whimsical Surfer Sculpture by Mitch Berg
Located in San Diego, CA
A really cool and whimsical surfer sculpture by Mitch Berg, circa 2008. The piece is in good vintage condition and measures 10.5" W x 4.5" D x 15" H. ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Metal

A Hand-Carved Wabi Sabi Wooden Mortar, Africa, c. Early 20th Century
Located in Hønefoss, 30
Beautiful Hand-Carved Wabi Sabi Mortar that works perfectly for a planter. By unknown designer in Africa, c. early 20th Century. Wear consistent with age and use showing wonderful ...
Category

Early 20th Century Ethiopian Folk Art Decorative Objects

Materials

Wood

Folk Art decorative objects for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique folk art decorative objects 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 decorative objects 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, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art decorative objects made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original decorative objects, popular names associated with this style include Mosche Bianche, Jim Rose, Berber Tribes of Morocco, and Tonala Pottery. 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 decorative objects differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $38 and tops out at $225,000 while the average work can sell for $1,105.

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