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.
“Lorenzo il Magnifico” Wall Plate by Luciano Guarnier for Richard Ginori, Italy
Located in Grythyttan, SE
Richard Ginori Decorative Plate — “Lorenzo il Magnifico” Design by Luciano Guarnieri (Italy, 1996) This striking vintage decorative plate was produc...
Stoneware
Vintage Boho Mexican Hand Painted Ceramic Plate
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Celebrate vibrant craftsmanship with this Vintage Boho Mexican Hand Painted Ceramic Plate, featuring a radiant sunflower at its center surrounded by intricate geometric and floral motifs. Handmade in the traditional Talavera style, this lead-free glazed ceramic plate bursts with bold color—sunny yellow, rich green, and deep cobalt blue—perfect for infusing your table or walls with joyful artisanal flair. Whether displayed as kitchen wall art...
Ceramic, Paint
Villeroy & Boch, Design Gérard Laplau, Set of Six Deep Porcelain Plates
Located in København, Copenhagen
Villeroy & Boch, design Gérard Laplau. A set of six deep porcelain plates with motifs of families, villages and biblical scenes in a naivist style. In ...
Porcelain
Vintage Boho Hand Painted Mexican Glazed Ceramic Plate
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Add a vibrant pop of color and cultural artistry to your space with this Vintage Boho Hand Painted Mexican Glazed Ceramic Plate. Crafted in the traditional Talavera style, this piece...
Ceramic
Art Deco Design Porcelain Plate Collectible Villeroy and Boch
Located in Moreno Valley, CA
Vintage Villeroy and Boch 1900 Art Deco design, woman with parrot. Villeroy & Boch Design 1900 Porcelain collectible plate. The subjects coll...
Porcelain
$11,747 / set
H 1.19 in Dm 9.69 in
Italy Richard Ginori Mid-18th Century Porcelain Set 8 Dishes Floral Design
Located in Brescia, IT
The set of eight hand-painted flower design porcelain dishes was manufactured by Richard Ginori in the historical headquarter of Doccia (Tuscany, Italy), one of the most important an...
Porcelain
Richard Ginori Bone China Plate Porcelain, 1990, Italy
Located in Milano, IT
Richard Ginori bone China plate porcelain, 1990, Italy.
Porcelain
$451Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Las Palmas, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
La collezione di Porcellane Las Palmas deve il suo nome alla città di Palmas, in Brasile. Si tratta di un vero e proprio omaggio alle palme, che siano le loro foglie, l'intera pianta...
Porcelain
$451Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Mont Blanc, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Inspired by the highest mountain of the Alps, the Mont Blanc, this collection of plates is a photography of the changing seasons. Winter is here and a...
Porcelain
$451Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Mediterraneo, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
The Mediterraneo collection is the result of Vito Nesta’s reflection on the line between reality and fantasy. The architectures of the doors depicted on the plates arise from technic...
Porcelain
$281Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 8.27 in
Black Dragon, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dessert Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Black Dragon pool is a collection of plates and vases inspired by the famous Chinese pond of the same name, located in the scenic Jade Spring Park. The de...
Porcelain
$451Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Casquets, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Casquets collection of dishes tells the vicissitudes of the vessel HMS Victory, shipwrecked in the channel tunnel, recalling the 18th century wars between England and France. The com...
Porcelain
$454Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Animalia, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Spring time, animals all around the world spreads their love and starts to look for their second half of the apple.
Porcelain
$451Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Natsumi, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Bordeaux and blue are the primary colors of this Japan inspired collection of plates, where ancient Japanese scenes take place on the rivers of a ...
Porcelain
$366Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 1.19 in Dm 8.27 in
Black Dragon, Six Contemporary Porcelain soup plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
Black dragon pool is a collection of plates and vases inspired by the famous Chinese pond of the same name, located in the scenic Jade Spring Park. The de...
Porcelain
$451Sale Price / set|20% Off
H 0.4 in Dm 11.03 in
Roma, Six Contemporary Porcelain Dinner Plates with Decorative Design
By Vito Nesta
Located in Milano, Lombardia
La collezione Roma è un'ode alla magnificenza della città eterna. Sullo sfondo dei piatti che raffigurano serigrafie di alcuni dei luoghi più iconici della città - come il Pantheon e...
Porcelain
Early 20th century polychrome ceramic plates
Located in Premariacco, IT
Pair of plates with polychrome decoration and raised rim. Early 20th century European production. They show normal signs of wear due to age and use.
Ceramic
English Pottery Spatterware Plates- A Set of Four
Located in Downingtown, PA
English Pottery Green Sponged Spatterware Set of Four Plates, 1st Half of 19th Century The Sponged Spatterware plates are attractively decorated with a green seaweed border with a b...
Ceramic, Pottery
Villeroy & Boch Naif Dinner Plates in Porcelain, Designed by Gérard Laplau
Located in København, Copenhagen
Villeroy & Boch Naif dinner plates in porcelain. A set of seven dinner plates decorated with naive motifs. Motifs of families, villages and biblical scenes in naïve style. Designed by Gérard Laplau...
Porcelain
Set of Vintage Patamban Green Glazed Swan Pottery Plates
Located in Atlanta, GA
Beautiful vintage set of Patamban decorative pottery plates made by folk artists in Michoacán, Mexico. The round plates feature a rich green glazing on the front with swan designs in an off-black...
Pottery, Terracotta
Set of Six Qing Dynasty Carp Plates
By Craftsman
Located in New York, NY
6 vividly decorated porcelain carp plates in blue and purple glaze on a blue-tinted clear glaze ground. These plates are were often seen on the tables of r...
Porcelain
Sold
H 0.79 in Dm 8.27 in
Villeroy & Boch Naif Dinner Service in Porcelain, a Set of Seven Lunch Plates
Located in København, Copenhagen
Villeroy & Boch Naif dinner service in porcelain. A set of seven lunch plates decorated with naivist motifs. In very good condition. Stamped. Measures: 21 cm. Designed by Gérard ...
Porcelain
Set of 32 Dishes: A Swansea Creamware Botanical Dessert Service
Located in Katonah, NY
Created by the Swansea factory at the end of the 18th century the designs for these dishes are taken from from Curtis's Botanical Magazine begun in 1787. Each flower is beautifully h...
Creamware
Brightly Painted Saltglaze Stoneware Pierced Plate
Located in Katonah, NY
An outstanding English saltglaze plate with a basket weave design relief molded with fruits and a pierced and arcaded border.It is decorated in enamel oxide colors in the style of Th...
Part of a Large Collection of Whieldon Type Dishes
Located in Katonah, NY
A pair of Whieldon dishes which is part of our large collection of creamware tortoiseshell dishes in the style of Thomas Wheildon. Whieldon (1719-1795), was a master potter who exper...
Creamware