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.
1920s British Vintage Folk Art
Wood
19th Century North American Antique Folk Art
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art
Pine
19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Wood
1950s Mexican Vintage Folk Art
Tin
1940s British Vintage Folk Art
Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Gesso, Wood, Paint
1810s Italian Antique Folk Art
Fir
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Copper
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Fabric
20th Century Nepalese Folk Art
Sandalwood
1940s American Vintage Folk Art
Canvas, Wood, Paint
19th Century French Antique Folk Art
Iron
19th Century French Antique Folk Art
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art
Oak
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art
Copper
Early 20th Century American Folk Art
Wood
Early 20th Century Folk Art
Cotton
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art
Wool
1950s American Vintage Folk Art
Canvas
Late 20th Century Folk Art
Wool
15th Century and Earlier Unknown Antique Folk Art
Sandstone
1920s American Vintage Folk Art
Wood, Paint
1910s American Vintage Folk Art
Iron
1820s American Antique Folk Art
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art
Wood, Paint
19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Wood
18th Century Italian Antique Folk Art
Shell, Driftwood, Giltwood, Reclaimed Wood
Late 20th Century Canadian Folk Art
Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Copper
20th Century Congolese Folk Art
Terracotta
1930s British Vintage Folk Art
Pine, Paint
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art
Stoneware
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art
Birch
Late 20th Century American Folk Art
Wood
Early 20th Century English Folk Art
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art
Metal
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art
Bentwood, Pine
1840s Italian Antique Folk Art
Fir
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art
Wood
Late 18th Century American Antique Folk Art
Glass, Wood, Paper
1770s Italian Antique Folk Art
Fir
1940s French Vintage Folk Art
Plastic, Hardwood, Paint
1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art
Linen
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art
Cotton
19th Century French Antique Folk Art
Wood
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art
Metal
Early 20th Century French Folk Art
Steel
1950s French Vintage Folk Art
Wood
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art
Metal
Mid-19th Century English Antique Folk Art
Other
Mid-20th Century Folk Art
Tin
20th Century Folk Art
Composition, Metal
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art
Pine, Paint
1960s Unknown Vintage Folk Art
Masonite, Paint