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Folk Art Ceramics

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
Period: 1970s
1970 Outsider Art Figural Stoneware Decorative Plate
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Charming outsider art charger / decorative plate depicting a jovial young girl. Pleasant color palette and figure with age-appropriate crazing to the glaze...
Category

1970s American Vintage Folk Art Ceramics

Materials

Stoneware

Mid Century Fajalauza Handmade Terracotta Ceramic Lebrillo Bowl, Granada Spain
Located in Escalona, Toledo
Beautiful decorative terracotta ceramic bowl (Lebrillo) glazed in white and green Spanish Fajalauza from the mid-20th century, made and hand-painted, in this case with its characteri...
Category

1970s Spanish Vintage Folk Art Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

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Contemporary Footed Handmade Ceramic Bowl
Located in Brooklyn, NY
Modern footed stoneware bowl. Finished with a soft, white glaze. Karina Vieira is a Brooklyn-based ceramicist focusing on handbuilt vessels. Her work references various styles...
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2010s American Folk Art Ceramics

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Decorative Contemporary Curved Handmade Ceramic Bowl
Located in Brooklyn, NY
White stoneware bowl, finished with a soft, clear glaze. Karina Vieira is a Brooklyn-based ceramicist focusing on handbuilt vessels. Her work references various styles, touchin...
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Tonala Folk Art Pottery Charger, Hand Painted Rabbit, Mexico, circa 1970's
Located in Chatham, ON
Tonala folk art pottery charger or wall plate - large size - hand made and hand painted with a rabbit, bird and foliage - elaborate border - unsigned - Mexico - circa 1970's. Excellent vintage condition - no loss - no damage - no restoration - original metal hanger...
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Spanish Ceramic Terracotta Centerpiece Bowl
Located in Barcelona, ES
Spanish 19th century green and beige ceramic terracotta bowl / centerpiece Green and Off White colors. Beautiful handcrafted terracotta lebrillo bowl with glazed ceramic finishing in shades of green and beige This traditional Spanish pottery lebrillo is beautiful used as fruits bowl, serving bowl or as a centerpiece. Also amazing to be exhibited in a cupboard with other pottery pieces as a collection. A good addition in any rustic or traditional style kitchen but also a charming accent in a modern or contemporary kitchen. Measures: 28 cm diameter x 12 cm height ( 11,02 in diameter x 4,72 in H ) Spanish Terracotta Lebrillo...
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Late 19th Century Spanish Antique Folk Art Ceramics

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Tonala Folk Art Pottery Charger, Hand Painted Swan, Mexico, Circa 1970's
Located in Chatham, ON
Tonala folk art pottery charger or wall plate - large size - hand made and hand painted with a swan and flowers - elaborate border - unsigned - Mexico - circa 1970's. Excellent v...
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Large Spanish Glazed Terracotta Granada "Lebrillo" Earthenware Bowl
Located in Marbella, ES
Large Spanish handmade and painted white and green glazed terracotta "lebrillo" earthenware bowl in the style typical of Granada.
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Large Stoneware Floor Vase in Ceramic by Danish Artist Ole Victor, 2022
Located in Odense, DK
Large ceramic floor vase with glaze in variations of beige and pastel colors, made by Danish artist Ole Victor, 2022. Ole Victor is a Danish artist who a...
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2010s Danish Folk Art Ceramics

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Ceramic, Stoneware

Large Spanish Glazed Terracotta Granada "Lebrillo" Earthenware Bowl
Located in Marbella, ES
Large Spanish glazed terracotta Granada "Lebrillo" earthenware bowl.
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2010s Spanish Folk Art Ceramics

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Ceramic

Large Spanish Glazed Terracotta Granada "Lebrillo" Earthenware Bowl
Located in Marbella, ES
Large Spanish handmade and painted white and green glazed terracotta "lebrillo" earthenware bowl in the style typical of Granada.
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2010s European Folk Art Ceramics

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Large Spanish Glazed Terracotta Granada "Lebrillo" Earthenware Bowl
Located in Marbella, ES
Large Spanish handmade and painted white and green glazed terracotta "lebrillo" earthenware bowl in the style typical of Granada.
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2010s European Folk Art Ceramics

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Ceramic

21st Century Large Ceramic Bowl in White Handmade
Located in Milan, IT
Vietri collection - O'Cornicello - ceramic plates, created following a lengthy and complex production process. The first phase involves shaping the clay on the wheel, from which the ...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Folk Art Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic

Talavera Ceramic Plate, Don Quixote and the Magic Horse Clavileño, Signed, 1950s
By Artesania Talaverana
Located in Benalmadena, ES
Fantastic Talavera ceramic dish painted by hand by S. Timoneda representing the wonderful scene of Don Quixote and Sancho Panza blindfolded on the back of the magic horse from Clavil...
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Mid-20th Century Spanish Folk Art Ceramics

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Previously Available Items
Ceramic Hat Yellow and Green Drip Glazed Chip and Dip Platter 1970s Era
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Ceramic hat themed platter with ribbon. A beautiful accent to any soirée. Round in form, this dish is shaped like a sun hat or cowboy hat. It reminds of a 1970s hat. Envision a portr...
Category

1970s American Vintage Folk Art Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic, Paint

Höganäs, Collection of Four Pairs of Miniature Clogs in Ceramic, 1970s
Located in Copenhagen, DK
Höganäs, Collection of four pairs of miniature clogs in ceramic, 1970s. in very good condition. Stamped: Höganäs, LHN. Largest measures: 5 x 2 cm.
Category

1970s Danish Vintage Folk Art Ceramics

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Large Stoneware Pottery Hand Crafted Sculpture 'Rabbit" by Richard Burkett
Located in Buffalo, NY
Large Stoneware Pottery handcrafted Sculpture 'Rabbit" by Richard Burkett, , Richard Burkett is a Professor of Art at San Diego State University, teaching all levels of ceramics for the past 28 years, and focusing on soda firing, glazes, and vessel forms – both functional and sculptural. He received the B.A. degree in Art from Lawrence University, and the M.F.A. degree in both ceramics and photography from Indiana University in 1986. From 1973 to 1983 he ran the Wild Rose Pottery in Bainbridge, Indiana. Richard Burkett has traveled extensively in Ecuador over the last 20 years with Joe Molinaro of Eastern Kentucky University, researching and photographing Ecuadorian potters and documenting indigenous pottery cultures in the Amazon basin. He recently designed and co- authored a book on Ecuadorian Kichwa pottery with Joe Molinaro: Mythical Figures & Mucawas: Ceramics from the Ecuadorian Amazon. One of the first ceramists to make extensive use of computers and the Internet, Burkett has lectured internationally on ceramics at events in Korea, Ecuador, Sweden, Turkey, and Finland. He is the author of HyperGlaze, educational glaze calculation software for artists, and the co-author of the sixth edition of Ceramics: A Potter’s Handbook, one of the most widely used ceramics textbooks. He selected porcelain artists and wrote essays for the Lark book Porcelain Masters: major works by leading artists. In his spare time he plays bluegrass music. Artist Statement: My work hovers between pottery and sculpture. Some pieces move in a sculptural direction, yet still derive some of their form from vestiges of my more utilitarian work. I find this a fascinating interplay, with one body of work informing the other and making both stronger for their interaction. My influences include a diverse range of mostly vessel-oriented forms, from the often mysterious chemical glassware and porcelain I grew up with in my father’s early 1900s-era chemical laboratory, to ancient South American pottery...
Category

1970s American Vintage Folk Art Ceramics

Materials

Ceramic, Stoneware

Folk Art ceramics for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique folk art ceramics for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Late 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage ceramics created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include serveware, ceramics, silver and glass, folk art, decorative objects and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with ceramic, pottery and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art ceramics 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 ceramics, popular names associated with this style include Delft, Royal Copenhagen, Sarreguemines, 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 ceramics differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $60 and tops out at $5,500 while the average work can sell for $493.

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