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Folk Art

FOLK ART STYLE

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.

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Style: Folk Art
Moroccan Tribal Wedding Rug with Sequins North Africa
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Moroccan Tribal Wedding Rug With Sequins. Moroccan vintage tribal rug flat woven by the Zaiane Berber women from Morocco.Moroccan summer rugs are light flat Kilim, easy to carry arou...
Category

20th Century Moroccan Folk Art

Materials

Wool, Cotton

1930s Amish Doll Quilt from Lanc., Pennsylvania, One-Patch
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This wonderful simple and rare doll quilt is in one-patch pattern. Plexy box protecting the quilt.  
Category

1930s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Acrylic

Folk Art Sign-Maker's Sample Board in Original Paint
Located in Greenwich, CT
A Folk Art two-sided sign maker's sample board in original paint, one side having square color samples with various border treatments, each panel numbered (one through 25), the other...
Category

Late 18th Century English Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Dama a la Noche 1985 ceramic by Gadu
By Gadu
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A very unusual ceramic or terracotta with hollow eyes that bears a copper plaque on the base that reads "Dama en la Noche" Gadu. I believe the translation is lady in/of the night. It...
Category

Late 20th Century Unknown Folk Art

Materials

Terracotta

French School Teacher Educational Painting "Charcutier"
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Painted by a school teacher in rural Hautes Pyrenees, France. Based on the Toto, Lili, Rene and Jojo French educational stories. Most likely the teacher...
Category

1930s French Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Paper, Watercolor

Rolled Newspaper Family by Fernandez
By Fernandez
Located in Palm Springs, CA
A spectacular group of larger than lifesize sculptures by the artist Fernandez. The sculptures are rolled newspaper painted and lacquered onto resin molds with iron bases. The artist...
Category

Late 20th Century American Folk Art

19th Century Iron Indian Weathervane with Stand
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Fantastic and rare original painted surface iron Indian weather vane, worn painted surface. Great original Directional's in iron and attached. This Indian weather vane was found in t...
Category

19th Century American Antique Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Iron Swordfish Created by a Nebraksan Farmer, circa 1940s
By Byron Groelz
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Iron swordfish created by Byron Groelz, a farmer from Phillips, Nebraska. Born around 1900, Mr. Groelz made decorative iron for an environment on his ranch.
Category

1940s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Carved Bantam Wearing a Crown
Located in Greenwich, CT
An early 19th century French carved bantam sporting a crown, well carved in pine. Good detailing to face, plumage, tail feathers and feet. Possibly originally from a ring toss game...
Category

19th Century French Antique Folk Art

Materials

Pine

Zabihi Collection Lavender Dragon Vintage Tibetan Rug
Located in New York, NY
mid 20th Century lavender tone Tibetan Rug Measures: 3' x 5'9''.
Category

Mid-20th Century Folk Art

Materials

Wool

Found and Salvaged Industrial Steel Object Sculpture Figure with Face
Located in Chicago, IL
Made from found industrial objects, this face takes on different looks at every angle. A wedge, sprockets, gears are adhered to a found painted steel plate to complete this "Flatlay Face" Jim Rose Flatlay Face No. 05, 2021 found industrial objects 4.50h x 10.75w x 10.75d in 11.43h x 27.30w x 27.30d cm JR0299 Jim Rose b. 1966, d. 2023 Bio Born in Indiana, Jim Rose lived in Europe until he returned to the United States to attend college. After one year at Bard College, Jim transferred to the School of the Art Institute in Chicago (SAIC) where he graduated in 1988 with a BFA. His skillful interpretation of the Shaker design is a result of intense research and field study of Shaker furniture, architecture, culture and history. After over two decades of dedicated work, he has mastered the minimalism of the Shaker technique and created his own unique visual vernacular. The quilts of Gee's Bend have become a monumental influence taking this artist's work to new levels of unique interpretation and artistry. His selection of aged steel results in a patina directly related to that of aged wood while his colored strips beautifully mimic worn cloth. Each piece of furniture is masterfully made and intended for daily use. Jim Rose’s steel furniture is featured every year at SOFA Chicago for the past 25 years. Jim Rose b. 1966, Wisconsin Education 1989 B.F.A., Sculpture, The School of the Art Institute of Chicago, IL 1988 Student at Large, Welding Technology, Triton College, Chicago, IL 1985 Undergraduate Photography Bard College, Annandale-on-Hudson, New York Awards 2008 Wisconsin Arts Board Fellowship Award, Madison, WI. 2005 Elizabeth R. Raphael Founder’s Prize, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2003 Grant Recipient for Shaker Interpretations in Cast Iron, PA Arts Assoc / WI Arts Board 2003 Arts/Industry Residency Program for Visual Artists, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Solo Exhibitions 2017 New Work, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2012 Simply Steel, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2007 Variation, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2003 New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2001 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 2000 Shaker in Steel / New Work, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL 1999 Hands and Heart to Steel III, Ann Nathan Gallery, Chicago, IL National Exhibitions 2017-2018 SOFA Chicago – Gallery Victor Armendariz 2016 - 1995 SOFA Chicago, New York, Palm Beach - Ann Nathan Gallery 2011 - 2002 Art Chicago - Ann Nathan Gallery Group Exhibitions 2017 Coming Attractions: Inaugural Exhibition, Gallery Victor Armendariz, Chicago, IL 2017 Living with Art: The Newman Collection, 108 Contemporary, Tulsa, Oklahoma 2016 Form Follows Function: The Intersection of Art and Craft, The Hardy Gallery, Ephraim, Wi 2015 NEO, Chipstone Foundation, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 2015 ICFF, Furniture Society, Javits Convention Center, New York City, NY 2013 Vahki Revisited, The Enduring Spirit of a Craft Collection” Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2013 Fearless Furniture, Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, IN 2013 Inaugural Exhibition, Museum Wisconsin of Art, West Bend, WI 2012 Sitting Pretty: Furniture from RAM’s Collection, Racine Art Museum, WI 2011 Hiding Places: Memory in the Arts, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, WI 2010 Living with Art, Strohl Art Center, Chautauqua Institution, NY 2009 Summer in Wisconsin, Tory Folliard Gallery, Milwaukee, WI 2009 High Honors, James Watrous Gallery, Madison, WI 2008 Second Lives: Remixing the Ordinary, Museum of Art and Design, NY 2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Art Association, Jackson, WY 2007 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Houston Center for Contemporary Craft, Houston, TX (traveling exhibition) 2006 Show us Your Drawers, Herron School of Art, Indianapolis, IN 2006 Marriage of the Minds, Fairfield Center for Contemporary Art, Sturgeon Bay, WI 2006 27th Annual Contemporary Crafts, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2006 Containers of All Dimensions, Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, AZ 2005 Transformation 5: Contemporary Works in Found Materials, Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, PA 2004 Right at Home: American Studio Furniture, Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. 2004 American Collections, Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, WI 2004 More Than Drawers-Wisconsin Cabinets, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2004 Objects of Wonder, John Michael Kohler Arts Center, Sheboygan, WI 2003 Planting, Potting and Pruning, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI 2003 Men at Work, Miller Art Museum, Sturgeon Bay, WI 2002 Case Pieces: Contemporary Studio Furniture, Elvehjem Museum of Art, Univ of WI-Madison 2002 Sitting Pretty: Contemporary Wisconsin Chairs, Leigh Yawkey Woodson Art Museum, Wausau, WI 2001 Anything with a Drawer - Award Recipient, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ 2001 23rd Annual Contemporary Crafts - Award Recipient, Mesa Arts Center, Mesa, AZ 2000 New Talent in Craft, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, Wisconsin 2000 Who Knows Where or When, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, Wisconsin 1999 The End is Near! Artists look at the 20th Century, Wustum Museum of Fine Art, Racine, WI Selected collections Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Washington, D.C. Racine Art Museum, Racine, Wisconsin Mesa Contemporary Arts, Mesa, Arizona The Museum of Arts and Design, New York, New York John Michael Kohler Art Center, Sheboygan, Wisconsin Kohler Company, Kohler, Wisconsin Milwaukee Art Museum, Milwaukee, Wisconsin Society for Contemporary Craft, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Arkansas Arts Center, Little Rock, Arkansas Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania Indiana State Museum and Historic Sites, Indianapolis, Indiana The Chipstone Foundation, Fox Point, Wisconsin Museum of Wisconsin Art, West Bend, Wisconsin Publications “Selected Artists of Door County” Stonehill Publishing, 2016 “Galvanized Chest” Door County Living Magazine, Autumn 2012 “100 Artists of the Midwest” Schiffer Books, 2012 “Piecework” American Craft Magazine, February 2012 “Hiding Places, Memory in the Arts” John Michael Kohler Arts Center, June 2011 “Second Lives, Remixing the Ordinary” Museum of Arts and Design, NY, August 2008 “Studio Furniture” Renwick Gallery, Smithsonian American Art Museum, DC, May 2008 “Discoveries by Designers” Architectural Digest, December 2005 “Contemporary Metal Furniture” Metalsmith Magazine, Winter 2003 “Studio Case Furniture: The Inside Story” American Craft Magazine, October 2002 “Contemporary Studio Case Furniture: The Inside Story” Elvehjem Museum of Art, 2002 “Chicago Style...
Category

2010s American Folk Art

Materials

Steel

1834 Light Blue Floral Painted Blanket Chest
Located in Albignasego, IT
Tyrolean painted chest dated 1834 Measurements: H. 73m – L. 127cm – D. 56cm Period: 1834 Origin: Tyrol Essence: Fir Painted chest, entirely made of fir wood. On the front there is ...
Category

1830s Italian Antique Folk Art

Materials

Fir

Mid 18th Century Floral Painted Blanket Chest
Located in Albignasego, IT
Tyrolean painted chest H. 81 – W. 147 – P. 69 Ancient Tyrolean chest, entirely built in fir wood. The surface has been decorated with a dark brown background color, semi-covering, ...
Category

Mid-18th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art

Materials

Fir

Antique German Hand Painted Cabinet, Anno 1812
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A beautiful cabinet from the rural south of germany, dating from 1812. The cabinet was probably given as a wedding present. This cabinet is made of solid pine and is hand painted in ...
Category

1810s German Antique Folk Art

Materials

Pine

American Folk Art Iron Flying Witch & Bat Motif Weathervane, Museum Mounted
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
American folk Art iron fying witch & bat motif Weathervane, Museum Mounted A fine example of Americana, a large scale vignette of a Witch flying on her broom, a shooting star and b...
Category

Early 20th Century American Folk Art

Materials

Iron, Wrought Iron

Antique Cast Iron Black Lamb Doorstop
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Antique cast iron lamb doorstop.
Category

Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Antique Mid-19th Century Handmade Patchwork "Cross Roads" Quilt in Pink Patterns
Located in Copenhagen K, DK
USA, Vintage Antique "Cross Roads" quilt with multiple colors and pink border. This crisp, sturdy cotton stars quilt is hand pieced and hand quilted with a variety of early mi...
Category

Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art

Materials

Cotton

Massive Rustic Folk Art Painted Patina Tin Owl Sculpture with Wooden Base
Located in Houston, TX
Large scale folk art style tin owl sculpture with a painted patina. Attached to a wooden base to ensure that the sculpture is stable.
Category

20th Century Folk Art

Materials

Tin

19th Century Agile Painted Wooden Figure
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
According to tradition earlier at Schackenborg Castle. Similar figure of a soldier, is to be found at the Danish National Museum. Schackenborg Castle came to belong to the Schack family 11 generations ago. The last count had no children...
Category

19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Ancient Folk Work, Pair of Painted Plaster Grotesques Characters
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Ancient folk work, pair of painted plaster grotesques characters. Measures: H: 71 et 69 cm (repairs and splinters).
Category

Early 20th Century French Folk Art

Materials

Plaster

Louis Auguste Dechelette 1964 "Mixing Poison"
By Louis Auguste Dechelette
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Louis-Auguste Dechelette (1894-1964) acrylic on board titled "Mixing Poison". It is signed lower right and bears an exhibition label on the back. It also has a christies lot number taped on the back from a 2010 sale in which it was bought in. This is a delightful folk art painting. Biography Plasterer and painter by trade, Louis-Auguste Déchelette was discovered in 1941 by Robert Rey, director of Fine Arts and was very successful. He exhibited for the first time in 1942 at Galerie Jeanne Bucher. his paintings tend to political trends, street scenes and campaigns, always animated with funny characters, and marked in their subject and composition, a bit of black humor. Exhibitions 1942 Galerie Jeanne Bucher. Paintings of Louis Déchelette 1944 Galerie Jeanne Bucher. André Bauchant...
Category

1960s French Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Canvas, Acrylic

Portrait of Elizabeth Van Dyck Vosburg by Pieter Vanderlyn (The Gansevoort Limne
By Gansevoort Limner
Located in West Chester, PA
Portrait of Elizabeth "Betje" Van Dyck Vosburg., c. 1725. Unsigned, in original frame; accompanied by a Van Dyke family bible printed in Amsterdam in 1702. Condition: Minor repairs, ...
Category

18th Century and Earlier American Antique Folk Art

Materials

Canvas

Folk Art folk art for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique folk art for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, 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, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used 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 Berber Tribes of Morocco, Mosche Bianche, Jim Rose, and Nils Olsson. 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 $35 and tops out at $49,500 while the average work can sell for $1,387.

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