Folk Art
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.
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art
Wood
Early 20th Century British Folk Art
Brass, Lead
Early 20th Century Norwegian Folk Art
Bentwood, Pine
Late 19th Century Welsh Antique Folk Art
Slate
Early 20th Century American Folk Art
Fabric
1970s Haitian Vintage Folk Art
Canvas, Paint
20th Century French Folk Art
Stone
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art
Wood, Paint
Early 1800s German Antique Folk Art
Wrought Iron
19th Century French Antique Folk Art
Metal
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art
Wood
Late 20th Century Turkish Folk Art
Wool
20th Century Unknown Folk Art
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art
Copper, Steel
Late 20th Century American Folk Art
Resin, Fiberglass, Paint
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art
Fir
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art
Bentwood, Pine
Early 20th Century French Folk Art
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art
Wool
1870s British Antique Folk Art
Copper
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art
Wood
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art
Glass, Hardwood
Early 20th Century British Folk Art
Brass
Early 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art
Wood
1960s German Vintage Folk Art
Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Wood
Mid-20th Century Folk Art
Wool
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art
Pottery
1860s American Antique Folk Art
Copper
Late 19th Century Norwegian Antique Folk Art
Birch, Nutwood, Beech, Bentwood
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art
Tin
1930s Malian Vintage Folk Art
Shell, Wood
1880s Hungarian Antique Folk Art
Pine
1970s Swedish Vintage Folk Art
Wood, Paint
20th Century American Folk Art
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Wool, Burlap
19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Canvas
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art
Tin
20th Century American Folk Art
Wood, Paint
1910s German Vintage Folk Art
Wood, Paint
1930s Persian Vintage Folk Art
Wool
1930s American Vintage Folk Art
Copper, Iron
18th Century American Antique Folk Art
Wood
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art
Metal, Tin
20th Century Mexican Folk Art
Pottery
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art
Pine
20th Century Malian Folk Art
Shell, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Copper
2010s American Folk Art
Metal, Steel
19th Century French Antique Folk Art
Copper, Iron
Late 20th Century American Folk Art
Canvas
20th Century American Folk Art
20th Century Italian Folk Art
Gold, Brass, Metallic Thread
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art
Wood
1920s French Vintage Folk Art
Reclaimed Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art
Iron
19th Century Bajan Antique Folk Art
Shell
Mid-20th Century Turkish Folk Art
Wool
1920s American Vintage Folk Art
Metal
Early 1900s Antique Folk Art
Metal
1910s Swedish Vintage Folk Art
Fabric, Pine
Early 20th Century Congolese Folk Art
Softwood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art
Pine
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art
Pine
20th Century Indian Folk Art
Cotton
1980s Vintage Folk Art
Hardwood
1940s French Vintage Folk Art
Metal
1890s American Antique Folk Art
Wood
1950s Mexican Vintage Folk Art
Wood, Paint
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art
Metal, Tin
Early 20th Century French Folk Art
Pine
1870s American Antique Folk Art
Pottery