Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
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.
1890s German Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pewter
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Tin
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Wood, Fruitwood
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Majolica
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Clay
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pewter
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Raffia
1940s Belgian Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Metal, Wrought Iron
Late 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pewter
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Wood
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Earthenware
1870s American Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pottery
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Copper
Late 19th Century European Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pottery
20th Century American Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Sterling Silver
1930s French Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Majolica
1840s English Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Paint, Delft, Faience
1910s North American Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Iron
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Copper
1870s German Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Stoneware
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Porcelain, Cork
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Agate, Sterling Silver
1990s Kenyan Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Bone, Horn, Wood, Olive
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Stoneware
1880s German Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pewter
20th Century American Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pewter
18th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic
1930s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Earthenware
Early 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pewter
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pewter
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pottery
19th Century Unknown Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Earthenware
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Birch
Late 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pottery
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Majolica
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Copper
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Metal
20th Century French Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Hardwood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Metal
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Wood
1870s English Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pottery
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Metal
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Mauritanian Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass, Copper, Pewter
1790s English Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pottery
1830s English Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Creamware
Early 1800s Swedish Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Pine
1940s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Earthenware, Pottery
Mid-20th Century Dutch Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Ceramic, Porcelain
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Art Glass
Late 19th Century Omani Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass, Copper
19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Brass
20th Century Panamanian Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Fabric, Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Metal
1890s German Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Metal
19th Century Antique Folk Art Serveware, Ceramics, Silver and Glass
Stoneware