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Federal Folk Art

FEDERAL STYLE

Following the Revolutionary War, the American republic referenced the Roman Republic in its designs to celebrate its independence and declare itself a powerful new country. Imbued with neoclassical elements like those being promoted by architect Robert Adam in Great Britain, antique Federal-style furniture was the first distinctly American style in its melding of ancient influences, European aesthetics and national pride.

Dating roughly from 1790 to 1830, the style featured angular furniture with saber legs and smooth surfaces that contrasted with the curvy Rococo style that was previously in fashion. Eagles were common ornamental motifs on Federal-period furniture, as were cornucopia, lyres, garlands and scrolls, adding subtle flair to pieces characterized by clean lines, geometric symmetry, balanced shapes and a sense of grandeur.

Instead of sculptural carvings, authentic Federal-style furniture was adorned with inlays and patterned veneers that showcased the rich character of different grains and types of wood. As social life tended to be informal in the young country, furniture was often lightweight, so it could be easily rearranged in a drawing room or bedroom. Pieces like dining tables with drop leaves and sideboards became popular, replacing larger chests of drawers.

The Federal style varied by region: Artisans in Charleston, South Carolina, decorated chairs with carved backs, for instance, while those in Baltimore, Maryland, preferred painted details. Its major proponents included father-and-son cabinetmakers John and Thomas Seymour in Boston, Duncan Phyfe and Charles-Honoré Lannuier in New York and Samuel McIntire in Salem, Massachusetts.

Find antique Federal tables, mirrors, storage cabinets and other Federal furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

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Item type: Antique and Vintage
Style: Federal
Antique Silk Broadside An Elegiac Poem Death of President George Washington 1800
Located in Portland, OR
An important & rare antique American political printed silk broadside, an elegy on the death of President George Washington, dated 1800. A poem on the Death of President George Was...
Category

1790s Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Silk

Windsor Highchair In Original Paint Circa 1820
Located in Hudson, NY
Beautiful American, windsor, arrow-back high chair in original surface. Circa 1820, this chair is in excellent condition with an incredible surface history. The splayed legs are much...
Category

1820s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Maple, Paint

Reverse Painting on Glass of George and Martha Washington by W. M. Prior
By William Matthew Prior
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th century reverse painted on glass portrait of George and Martha Washington by William Matthew Prior (1806 - 1873), one of New England'...
Category

1830s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Glass

Large Cast New England Bank Patriotic Eagle and Clipper Ship Plaque
Located in Nantucket, MA
Cast and Gilded Patriotic Eagle with Clipper Ship Plaque, with a Clutch of Arrows and an Olive Branch in it's Talons, mid 20th Century, from a Boston Bank...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Federal Folk Art

Materials

Composition

Antique Federal Eagle American 50 Star Flag with Brass Eagle Pole, 19th Century
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
Monumental 50 star American Flag with antique Federal Eagle brass and wood pole. A patriotic piece suitable for any home. This set includes both ...
Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Brass, Bronze

19th Century American Hand Carved Gilded Pediment Eagle
Located in Vero Beach, FL
19th century American hand carved gilded pediment eagle. Antique decorative hand carved and gilded wooden pediment eagle. The expressive sculpture w...
Category

19th Century American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Giltwood

Antique Terra Cotta Federal Eagles 'Pair'
Located in Sag Harbor, NY
Early antique federal eagles [pair] beautiful glaze. ca 1900, came from an antique collectors personal collection, you can see a repair on one of the eag...
Category

Early 20th Century French Federal Folk Art

Materials

Terracotta

American Federal Silhouettes of Livingston Family Members
Located in New York, NY
Snipping a profile from paper with scissors, and mounting the result to a contrasting sheet of paper, became a popular diversion among the European and American upper classes in the ...
Category

1830s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Paper

Outstanding Large Oak Carved Eagle Grasping Shield & Three Arrows
Located in Stamford, CT
Outstanding large oak carved eagle grasping shield with three arrows in his talons; most probably by a Philadelphia carver. Found in East Boothbay, Maine at collector's home. Arrows ...
Category

Late 19th Century American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Oak

Carved and Painted Wooden Eagle with Shield Attributed to John Haley Bellamy
Located in Savannah, GA
In all original untouched condition including weathered paint, this wonderful Folk Art wall plaque speaks for itself. Substantial size. It looks to be made to be mounted on a ledge, ...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Federal Grain Painted and Stenciled Document Box 19th Century American
Located in Hudson, NY
A spectacular and fine, dovetailed poplar, rosewood grain painted and ebonized document box. The gold stenciling is of a very fine quality. Retains the original fire gilded steel bai...
Category

Early 19th Century American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Gold, Steel

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New England Copper Architectural Finial
Located in Stamford, CT
A New England molded and soldered copper architectural finial in form of a pineapple.
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Late 19th Century American Antique Federal Folk Art

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Copper

Carved Italian Coat of Arms Plaque with Crown and Eagle
Located in Dallas, TX
Hand-carved from Italian limestone, this coat of arms plaque with crown and eagle features both bas- and mid-relief motifs. Bas-relief is a sculptu...
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21st Century and Contemporary Italian Federal Folk Art

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Limestone

Set of 9 Different Pieces 19th Century Hand Carved Spoons
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A set of 9 Swedish hand carved spoons from 19th century. In both cow horn and wood, some painted and dated.
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Horn, Wood

Esmond Burton Portland Stone Sculpture from the Bank of England Annexe
Located in London, GB
A massive carved Portland stone tableau of the reigning monarchs, William & Mary (1689-1702), granting The Bank of England Charter in 1694. Sculptor Esmond Burton (1885-1964).  Part of a collection of approximately 45 statues and carvings commissioned by the Bank of England to adorn it’s Annexe built in the 1950’s at One New Change in the City of London. They were removed prior to the building being demolished in 2007. This group was above the Cheapside entry to the courtyard and was flanked either side by statues of Sir John Houblon, the first Governor of the Bank and Michael Godfrey...
Category

1950s English Vintage Federal Folk Art

Materials

Stone

Antique Hand-Carved Meerschaum Smoking Pipe of Napoleon Bonaparte & Case
Located in Hamilton, Ontario
This antique well executed hand-carved meerschaum pipe was made by the Drown Pipe company of Vienna Austria and dates to approximately 1900 and done in a Renasissance Revival style. ...
Category

Early 20th Century Austrian Federal Folk Art

Materials

Clay

Carved Italian Stemma Plaque with Cornucopias, Eagle, and Winged Angel
Located in Dallas, TX
A stemma is a written record of a family tree that can be traced back to ancient Rome when they recorded such genealogical information on scrolls. In the Middle Ages, coat of arms be...
Category

21st Century and Contemporary Italian Federal Folk Art

Materials

Limestone

19th Century Wooden Gingerbread Cookie Speculaas Springerle Mold
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic 19th century wooden gingerbread cookie or speculaas springerle Mold, circa 1860-1880. Made of hand carved wood. Found at an estate sale in Vie...
Category

19th Century German Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Pine Trunk or Blanket Chest in Original Decorative Paint
Located in Baltimore, MD
What a beautiful and interesting trunk, in original paint, from Germany. The front of the piece is sponged in shades of red and burgundy with three arched baroque-style panels, trimm...
Category

Mid-19th Century German Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Pine

Pine Trunk or Blanket Chest in Original Decorative Paint
Located in Baltimore, MD
We love antique trunks in original red and green paint. This small blanket chest has a worn green background all over, except, as is usual, the bac...
Category

Mid-19th Century Hungarian Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Pine

46-Star American Flag, Antique Printed on Silk, Early 20th Century
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
This is an original 46-star American parade flag, printed on silk. Each star represents a state in the Union at the time. The official flag design would update every July 4th, to inc...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Silk

Large Vintage Decorative Wooden Ceiling Fan
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Large French black-painted wooden ceiling fan.
Category

Early 20th Century French Federal Folk Art

Materials

Wood

19th Century Nobleman Wooden Gingerbread Cookie Speculaas Springerle Mold
Located in Nuernberg, DE
Classic 19th century wooden gingerbread cookie or speculaas springerle Mold, circa 1860-1880 (Nobleman). Made of hand carved wood. Found at an estate ...
Category

19th Century Austrian Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Previously Available Items
Blanket Chest In Original Blue Paint American Circa 1810
Located in Hudson, NY
Beautiful federal two drawer blanket chest in the original blue paint ad retaining its gorgeous old dry surface. Beautiful cut apron across the front as well as the sides. This chest also retaining the original brass pulls with Greek key pattern. Height of feet is completely intact. The top is attached with the original cotter-pins. Likely Connecticut This item can be viewed in person at The Berkshire Galleries in Great Barrington...
Category

1810s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Brass

Vintage Hand Carved Wooden Eagle with Shield and Arrows
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
Presented is a vintage, Bellamy-style, hand carved wooden eagle. This late 19th century to early 20th century wood eagle is bronze-brushed with a painted red, white, and blue shield. It supports a shield in its right talon as the head looks to its left. In its left talon is a bundle of arrows. When Charles Thomson put together the final design for the Great Seal, he placed a bundle of thirteen arrows in the eagle's left (sinister) talon. The official description specifies the bald eagle holding "in his sinister, a bundle of thirteen arrows." The thirteen arrows are tightly aligned – a symbol of "strength in unity" that's found in the traditional cultures everywhere, from the Romans to the Iroquois— in this case a nod to the unity of the original 13 colonies. The clutched shield has a blue chief. Twenty one alternating red and white stripes complete the shield design. With carved detailed feathers and a dramatic expression, this stylized eagle is an interesting work of art. The relief carving is styled after John Bellamy, a well known folk artist made popular in the late 19th century for his stylized eagles and ship carvings...
Category

Early 20th Century American Federal Folk Art

Materials

Wood

American 39 Star Flag, circa 1889
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique American 39 Star Flag, circa 1889, a period silk made in the "Dancing Star" pattern, where the stars are oriented at an alternating upright and slanted angle (prior to being standardized by Congress). The 39 star flag was never an official American flag sanctioned by Congress, but was made by states to celebrate the two Dakotas admission into the Union in 1889. The flag is in very good condition, with only a few very small stains, just sufficient to call attention to the age of this flag. Conservation mounted on fabric backing in a tiger maple frame...
Category

1880s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Silk

American 39 Star Flag, circa 1889
American 39 Star Flag, circa 1889
H 20 in W 29 in D 1 in
1818 Declaration of Independence Broadside Engraved by Benjamin Owen Tyler
Located in Colorado Springs, CO
This is a stunning 1818 broadside engraving of the Declaration of Independence, the first engraved broadside of our nation’s founding document. The year 1815 saw the conclusion of th...
Category

1810s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Paper

Large Late 19th or Early 20 Century Hand Made Woolen Naval Flag
Located in Nantucket, MA
Scarce antique flag with the Commodore Perry motto from the War of 1812. A fine woolen bunting flag with machine stitched border (dating it to after 1841) and with hand cut and cross-stitched letters (in comparison stars were usually done this way until the 1880s, and rarely after the 1890s). The header has brass grommets which became standard by 1890 (until restricted during World War II). Despite having apparently only enjoyed light use, the fabric has warped a bit from age. Overall this flag clearly dates from before WW II, and all physical evidence strongly indicates an origin from circa the 1890s. "Dont Give Up The Ship" was the battle cry from the Battle of Lake Erie, echoing the dying words of Captain James Lawrence when the USS CHESAPEAKE was lost to HMS SHANNON off Boston on 1 June 1813. His friend Commodore Oliver Hazard Perry...
Category

1890s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Wool

American 46 Star Muslin Flag, circa 1908
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique American 46 Star flag, circa 1908, celebrating the admission of Indian Territory as the state of Oklahoma. An official flag of the United States f...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Muslin

19th Century American 45 Star Flag
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique American 45 star flag, circa 1896, a printed muslin flag with a "Dancing Star" pattern arranged in an 8 - 7 ---8 - 7 -8 - 7 format. This was an of...
Category

1890s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Muslin

19th Century American 45 Star Flag
19th Century American 45 Star Flag
H 20.13 in W 30.5 in D 0.75 in
Large American 45 Star Flag with Gilt Metallic Fringe, circa 1896
Located in Nantucket, MA
Antique American 45 Star Flag with Gilt Metallic Fringe, circa 1896, a large flag with 45 stars set in a "Dancing Star" pattern on the blue canton - prior to Congress setting a stand...
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1890s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Linen

19th Century Copper Eagle Weather Vane, Likely by Jewell, circa 1860
Located in Nantucket, MA
19th century copper Eagle weather vane, likely by A.L. Jewell & Co., Waltham, MA, circa 1860, a diminutive cast and welded copper hollow eagle weather van...
Category

1860s American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Copper

19th Century American Gilt Eagle Weather Vane Perched on Belted Ball and Arrow
Located in Ft. Lauderdale, FL
With wings spread high and richly molded detail this gilt on copper eagle weathervane, dating to the late 19th century, is mounted on a belted...
Category

Late 19th Century North American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Copper

Federal Style Mirror Featuring Églomisé of USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere
Located in Stamford, CT
A beautifully giltwood Federal style mirror featuring églomisé scenes of the USS Constitution and HMS Guerriere, a famous early naval battle in the war of 1812 won by USS Constitutio...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Mirror

Miniature American Red-Painted Antique Blanket Chest, circa 1820-1840
Located in Shippensburg, PA
An absolute delight, this jewel has a wonderful early and complex red-wash surface over a dense tulip poplar body. The top is affixed on iron cotter pin hinges, lifting to reveal a t...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Antique Federal Folk Art

Materials

Poplar

Federal folk art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Federal folk art 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 folk art created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, decorative objects, building and garden elements and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Federal folk art made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Europe pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original folk art, popular names associated with this style include and William Matthew Prior. 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 folk art differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $1,500 and tops out at $15,995 while the average work can sell for $5,643.

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