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Folk Art Urns

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
Giovanni De Simone teapot
Located in Pasadena, TX
This is an excellent example of Giovanni De Simone's work! It's hand painted and crafted by the artist himself. This piece is titled "Midnight Sunlight". It has a small chip on the ...
Category

1960s Italian Vintage Folk Art Urns

Materials

Pottery, Paint

Folk Art Treenware Vase or Urn of Inlay Wood
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A wonderfully hand-crafted greenware vase or urn - the inlay and marquetry is wonderfully intricate and detailed. With a little glass insert, a small tumbler...
Category

20th Century Folk Art Urns

Materials

Wood

Related Items
Richard Ginori Giovanni Gariboldi Vase Ceramic, 1950, Italy
Located in Milano, IT
Richard Ginori Giovanni Gariboldi vase ceramic, 1950, Italy.
Category

1950s Italian Vintage Folk Art Urns

Materials

Ceramic

French 19th Century Folk Art Leather Box
Located in Buisson, FR
Beautiful weathered Folk Art box made out of wood and covered with leather. Working lock and key. France, circa 1850 Weathered, small losses.
Category

19th Century French Antique Folk Art Urns

Materials

Leather, Wood

French 19th Century Folk Art Leather Box
French 19th Century Folk Art Leather Box
H 12.21 in W 15.75 in D 10.24 in
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 Urns

Materials

Wood

1940s Brown and Ivory Hand-Crafted Moroccan Ceramic Vase
Located in North Hollywood, CA
1940s Antique Brown and Ivory Hand-Crafted Moroccan Ceramic Vase.Very decorative chiseled small brown and ivory cor ceramic handcrafted by artisans in Fez Morocco.Hand-graved etched ceramic with ivory Arabic poetry calligraphy.Mouth opening is 5 in.Size: 10 inches height x 6.5 in diameter.Circa 1940s, Hand made in Fez Morocco.About Ceramic Islamic Art. Islamic ceramic etched art is a form of ceramic artwork that invves intricate designs, calligraphy, and patterns etched or incised onto the surface of ceramic objects. Ceramic Artwork: Ceramic art is the practice of creating objects, scptures, or vessels using clay and other natural materials, such as minerals and water. The process invves shaping the clay, either by hand or using a potter's wheel, and then firing it in a kiln at high temperatures to harden it. The firing process transforms the clay into a durable, non-porous material, making it suitable for functional and decorative purposes. Islamic Ceramic Etched Art: In Islamic ceramics...
Category

20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Urns

Materials

Ceramic

Large Mid-Century Modern Murano Style Brown and Tan Tortoise Shell Glass Vase
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Exquisite Murano style tan tortoiseshell pattern sculptural glass vase. A wonderful large vessel screaming to be displayed. Round in form, the small round base widens up through the ...
Category

Mid-20th Century Italian Folk Art Urns

Materials

Glass, Art Glass

Vide-Poche or Wall Tile Plate Ceramic Giovanni De Simone, Italy 1970s
Located in Rome, IT
Beautiful squared wall mounted tile platen or vide-poche in colored ceramic by the Italian artisti Giovanni De Simone. Giovanni De Simone was a great Sicilian artist...
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Folk Art Urns

Materials

Ceramic

Small Hand Painted Mexican Pottery Vase
By Artesania Talaverana
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage Mexican Style Mini Clay Studio Pottery. Handcrafted small vase made of clay hand painted in bright colors with farmers scene design. Beautiful folk...
Category

Late 20th Century North American Folk Art Urns

Materials

Pottery

Superb Antique Folk Art Parquetry Casket Styled Writing Box or Lap Desk
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This exquisite antique parquetry writing box or lap desk is unsigned, but presumed to have been made in Canada in approximately 1900 in a Folk Art style. The box itself, including th...
Category

Early 20th Century Canadian Folk Art Urns

Materials

Softwood

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 Urns

Materials

Wood

Decorative Folk Art Handcrafted Exotic Wood Lacquered Belly Flower Vase
Located in Miami, FL
Decorative Folk Art handcrafted exotic wood lacquered belly flower vase. A-762-335   
Category

Late 20th Century American Folk Art Urns

Materials

Wood

Giovanni de Simone Ceramic Tile Italian Design Multi-Color Swordfish Marlin 1970
Located in Palermo, Sicily
Giovanni de Simone ceramic tile Italian design multi-color swordfish marlin.
Category

1970s Italian Vintage Folk Art Urns

Materials

Ceramic

Antique French Toleware Cachepot or Planter Painted with a Don Quixote Scene
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique Toleware cachepot or planter. Decorated to both sides with a scene of Don Quixote and his companion Sancho riding atop a horse and ...
Category

Early 20th Century French Folk Art Urns

Materials

Metal

Previously Available Items
Talavera El Carmen Spain Pottery Blue & White Lidded Mantel Urn Vase 22"
Located in Dayton, OH
Vintage Spanish Talavera El Carmen folk art pottery, ceramic lidded mantel urn. Traditional urn shape beautifully decorated with blue and white foliate swirls and designs. Signed on ...
Category

Late 20th Century Folk Art Urns

Materials

Ceramic

18th Century Blue & White Delft Vase with a Large Cow Scenery
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Dutch Blue and White Delft Vase with a Large Cow Scenery, signed and marked, 1764.
Category

Mid-18th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Urns

Materials

Delft

Antique Black Stoneware Etched Snake Motif Vase, Signed
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A unique mat-black etched vase with a snake motif. This beautiful vessel is hand-crafted and decorated around the body with textured snakes around th...
Category

20th Century Japanese Folk Art Urns

Materials

Clay

Well-Crafted 1960's Folk Art Mixed-Wood Inlaid Vessel
Located in San Francisco, CA
This handsome one-of-a-kind hand-crafted vase of beautifully figured walnut and birdseye maple.
Category

1960s American Vintage Folk Art Urns

Materials

Bentwood

19th Century Terracotta Olive Oil Jug from Portugal
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
19th century terracotta olive oil jug from Portugal. A wonderful Portuguese antique olive oil jar, this piece has a beautiful shape, handle to one si...
Category

Mid-19th Century Antique Folk Art Urns

Shell-Covered Terracotta Cache-Pots
Located in Houston, TX
Shell-covered terracotta cache-pots. One of a kind pair of terracotta cache-pots covered with shells in a variety of shapes and colors. Priced as a pair.
Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Urns

Materials

Shell, Terracotta

Sophisticated Hand Painted Ceramic Figurative Folk Art Vase
Located in New York, NY
This very sophisticated vase features an incredible dimensional figurative face in handmade ceramic with hand-painted detailing on a speckled glazed finish. An excellent example of A...
Category

1950s American Vintage Folk Art Urns

Folk Art urns for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique folk art urns for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage urns created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include decorative objects, folk art and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, bentwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art urns made in a specific country, there are North America, Mexico, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. 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 urns differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $750 and tops out at $2,700 while the average work can sell for $2,550.

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