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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
Jim Rose Barn House Structure, Welded Steel Sculpture Made with Salvaged Steel
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a welded steel sculpture made by furniture creator Jim Rose. It is sustainable design created from salvaged and recycled steel panels left over from his larger projects. Thes...
Category

2010s American Folk Art

Materials

Steel

Set of Temperance Day Sheet Metal Road Signs, circa 1951
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Created by the Seventh-Day Adventists church in 1951 for their October 27th, 1951 Temperance Day "Weapons and Warfare" Campaign against alcohol consumption in the United States. The ...
Category

1950s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Sheet Metal

NYC Artist MARGARET LAYTON, PAINTING AND Iron SCULPTURE "WINDOW WASHER"
Located in Buffalo, NY
Margaret Layton (American, 20th century)"Parker Street" New York City Gouache on board, Iron Sculpture "window washer " circa 1950s Amazing Greenwich Village Building by artist Ma...
Category

1950s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Metal, Iron

19th Century Hand Carved Folk Art Tyrolean Figure
Located in London, GB
19th Century Hand Carved Folk Art Tyrolean Figure A lovely example of a mid-19th Century folk art hand carved Tyrolean (Austrian) figure of a man with moveable arms. A wonderful n...
Category

1850s Austrian Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

19th Century English Folk Art Gentleman’s Cane
Located in London, GB
19th Century English Folk Art Gentleman’s Cane A rare and quite special example of a 19th Century folk art English gentleman’s walking cane with a h...
Category

1850s British Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Early 19th Century Folk Art Hand Painted Games Board
Located in London, GB
Early 19th Century Folk Art Hand Painted Games Board A highly decorative example of a late 19th Century hand painted/crafted games board. Double sided with one side being painted by...
Category

1890s British Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Antique Black Americana Portrait American Lawyer, Signed 1862
Located in South Burlington, VT
Black Americana Antique Folk Art or Outsider Art Portrait Black American Lawyer, Signed June 10, 1862 This is an original historical and detailed hand incised work of art on wood p...
Category

19th Century American Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Splendid Seven rams Ntomo Mask, Bamana Population, Mali, 1930-1940
Located in Paris, FR
Splendid Seven rams Ntomo Mask, Bamana Population, Mali, 1930-1940 Seven Rams Ntomo Mask, Ségou region, Mali, Wood, cowrie shells, reptile skin. Dimensions: 61.5 cm / 24.02 inches. ...
Category

1930s Malian Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Shell, Wood

Prison Folk Art Matchstick Model Boat Ship Maritime Night Light Sculpture 31"
Located in Dayton, OH
Mid century three tiered prison folk art / tramp art model steam boat sculpture. Upcycled cardboard framing structure, matchstick exterior with glossy...
Category

Mid-20th Century Folk Art

Materials

Metal

Oversized Carved wood and painted Sheaffer Fountain Pen Store Display , 5 feet
Located in Buffalo, NY
Amazing ! Oversized Carved wood and painted Sheaffer Fountain Pen Store Display , Selling two pens. One 5" high 6 " in diameter.. other 50" h , 4" in diameter. Very well made, Qualit...
Category

1950s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Steel

Eye and Glasses Window Display Trade Sign
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Eye and Glasses Window Display Trade Sign The sign is made in presses tin, it seems to be hand painted with the slogan Eye Glasses Sold Here The sign is a ...
Category

1930s Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Tin

Handmade Diminutive Metal Owl Sculpture
Located in Ferndale, MI
Nicely detailed diminutive metal owl sculpture for desktop or collection. Weighty - possibly pewter. Signed Clarence.
Category

Late 20th Century American Folk Art

Materials

Metal

A Highly Whimsical Canadian Historical Themed Diorama by Terry Pfliger
Located in Ottawa, Ontario
A highly whimsical & amusing wall mounted diorama, featuring a mixed media three-dimensional interior depicting figures in a forested landscape who have happened upon a cache of lost parts belonging to the famous Canadian military aircraft ‘The Avro Arrow’. The scene is described by the artists hand in script, as observed on the outer front edge of the case which reads....“While deep in the woods on a fishing trip, Dave & Sydney stumble upon the lost cache of Avro Arrow parts”. Signed & dated 1992, and signed & dated again on the reverse. The multi-tiered case measuring 16” wide x 11.75” high x 7” deep. Terry Pfliger (1947-2016) was an American born and highly accomplished professional artist & educator. He taught visual arts at Loyalist College & Vocational Institute in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, before accepting the position as head of the art department at St. Lawrence College also in Kingston Ontario, which he held from 1973-95. Afterwards he moved to Michigan where he taught art at Southwestern Michigan College and was elected Professor Emeritus. He exhibited for several years in both solo & group exhibitions in Ontario Canada, and in Michigan, USA. Similar examples of the artists work are represented in the permanent collection of the Agnes Etherington Art Centre located at Queen’s University, Kingston Ontario. Terry Pfliger was part of a group of artists including Tobey Anderson, David...
Category

Late 20th Century Canadian Folk Art

Materials

Plastic, Plaster, Wood, Paint

Large French Toleware Glove Maker’s Shop Trade Sign
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
Large French Toleware Glove Maker’s Shop Trade Sign This is a very rare piece it is in good condition and has a new blacksmith made wall bracket, the bracket is copy of the origina...
Category

Early 1900s Antique Folk Art

Materials

Tin

American Folk Art Baguette
Located in Chicago, IL
Celebrate the whimsical charm of American Folk Art with this hand-carved pine sculpture resembling a baguette, a delightful fusion of creativity and playfulness. Crafted with meticul...
Category

20th Century American Folk Art

Materials

Pine

Antique Wire Fox Terrier Iron Door Stop, Hubley
Located in Riverdale, NY
Charming Iron Wire Haired Fox Terrier Door Stop with intact original paint attributed to Hubley circa 1910. Hard to find with original patinaed cold ...
Category

1910s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Hand Crafted Wooden Mortar and Pestle
Located in Los Angeles, CA
A well crafted wooden Folk Art Mortar and Pestle. The piece is used for crushing everything from herbs and spices, to medicines. While the piece is practical, the wooden craftsmans...
Category

20th Century Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Antique wood "Nandi" bull carving with storage space, India 1900th
Located in ECHT, NL
Hand carved and hand painted wood Nandi bull statue. Made around the turn of the 20th century in India. It depicts Vahana, the bull of hindu god Shiva. The statue has a small compartment with a lid on its back. This was probably meant to store an artifact of some kind. Nandi Nandi in a zoo-anthropomorphic form Affiliation Mount of Shiva Abode Mount Kailash Consort Suyasha[1] Part of a series on Shaivism show Deities show Scriptures and texts show Philosophy show Practices show Schools show Scholars show Related Hinduism portal vte Nandi (Sanskrit: नन्दि), also known as Nandikeshvara or Nandideva, is the bull vahana (mount) of the Hindu god Shiva. He is also the guardian deity of Kailash, the abode of Shiva. Almost all Shiva temples display stone...
Category

Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art

Materials

Leather, Wood

Folk Art Wedding Chest, Anno 1960
Located in Amsterdam, Noord Holland
A beautiful example of a wedding chest from the hungarian tribes of the kalota, the illustrations are traditional with images of flowers and tulips. The chest was part of a dowry pa...
Category

1960s Hungarian Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Pine

A Set of Six Hungarian Red Ware Folk Art Cups and Saucers by Imre Szűcs
Located in Morristown, NJ
A set of 6 Hungarian Folk Art Red Ware tea cups and saucers by Imre Szűcs. A black/brown based glaze decorated with white dots. The undersides are signed by Imre Albert Szucs and mar...
Category

Late 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art

Materials

Pottery

Antique Danish Mangle Board Wedding Love Gift Painted Wood, Horse Handle, 1803
Located in Aarhus C, DK
Antique Danish mangle board (clothing and bedding press) dated 1803. It is made from oak wood which is hand carved with a rich decoration of geometric blossoms. Painted in the colou...
Category

Early 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Ulo Tribal Akha Woman's Headdress with Framework of Bamboo and Beads
Located in Yonkers, NY
A Ulo Akha woman's Tribal headdress adorned with framework of bamboo, beads, pompons, seeds and other unique items. Immerse yourself in the rich cul...
Category

Early 20th Century Thai Folk Art

Materials

Fabric, Bamboo, Beads

Antique Germany Chip Hand Carved House Catchall Box Tramp Folk Art 1880s
Located in Nuernberg, DE
A petite German late 19th century Tramp Folk Art Secret Chamber Cabinet Box. This petite Folk Art piece, circa 1890 comes from Germany and features a finel...
Category

Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Decorated painted closet
Located in Casaleone, IT
Spruce cabinet with shelves and coat rack. Original hardware of the period complete with opening latch on left sash. Between the 2 doors is a pilaster with floral motifs. Frame and...
Category

Early 1800s Italian Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Fir

Lego Scrooge McDuck
Located in Pasadena, CA
The photos of Mr. Lego Scrooge McDuck speak for themselves. This figure is unique and would be the focus of any room. All spaces need a bit of laughter and whimsy and this guy would ...
Category

1990s American Folk Art

Materials

Plastic

Mid Century Modern Studio Pottery Christmas Ornaments by Peggy Beaver- Set of 39
Located in Cordova, SC
Thirty-nine piece set of Mid Century ceramic pottery Christmas ornaments hand crafted by Peggy Beaver who was quite the artist in Columbia, SC. The white glaze “frosting” has chipped...
Category

1950s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Ceramic

Cassapanca rossa decorata
Located in Casaleone, IT
Cassapanca decorata con seduta apribile in abete. Piede a mensola. Restaurata in minima parte. Le misure di riferimento sono alla cornice. Altre immagini e informazioni a richiesta ...
Category

Early 1900s Italian Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Fir

Spruce painted cabinet
Located in Casaleone, IT
Decorated typical South Tyrolean spruce cabinet with several secrets inside where there are 2 small drawers above and 2 below. Disassembled into 2 parts, complete original hardware. ...
Category

Early 1800s Italian Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Fir

19th Century English Folk Art Tree Form Painted Heads
Located in London, GB
19th Century English Folk Art Tree Form Painted Heads An unusual pair of late 19th Century English folk art painted natural wooden form figures. We hav...
Category

1890s British Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood

American Country Tole Gold Clock Sign
Located in New York, NY
American Country (19th Century) painted tole gold trimmed double sided clock sign in the form of a pocket watch.
Category

19th Century American Antique Folk Art

Materials

Tôle

Painted dresser
Located in Casaleone, IT
Chest of drawers decorated with red and yellow flowers on a green background in larch wood. Decorations also on the sides. Complete hardware. It has 4 drawers of which the first one ...
Category

Early 1800s Italian Antique Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Fir

Contemporary hand-sewn Victor quilt by British master maker
Located in London, GB
'Victor' quilt by British artist-maker, Emily Campbell. Emily’s knowledge of sewing combines with the formal and visual principles she learned as a two-dimensional designer to re-imagine the patchwork quilt. She has interpreted traditional patchwork geometry, dispensing with floral prints in favour of bold combinations of solid colour. Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand. Bespoke sizes are therefore possible. An accomplished undergraduate dress and costume maker, Emily progressed from an English degree to a diploma in Clothing Technology and became a pattern maker for the fashion designer Jean Muir. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Art she practised as a graphic designer at Pentagram in New York before embarking on a series of national and international programme director roles in the arts, design and education. In 2012, a quilt made from old denim and canvas work clothes featured in an exhibition about Gee’s Bend (the famed quilting community in Alabama). This prompted Emily to up-cycle the family’s old jeans into her first patchwork quilt. She studied rhythm, rule and variation in Anni Albers’ pattern drawings. She took inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Victor Pasmore and Ellsworth Kelly, and many more artists besides. Emily is the founder of Pemberton Qwilts. This takes its name from Sheila Frances Hayes, née Pemberton, who first taught Emily to sew. Three of Emily’s ‘TV Quilts’ were commissioned by Anya Hindmarch for her concept store at London Fashion Week 2023. These bear a single word of personal significance (see images). Emily was also among the textile artists selected for a group show at David Parr House, Cambridge that year.  Helen Chislett...
Category

2010s British Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Linen, Silk, Natural Fiber

Vintage Nahua Pottery Chililico Hidalgo Mexican Folk Art Animal Candleholders
Located in Forney, TX
A most charming pair of two rare and whimsical indigenous Nahua peoples pottery animal folk art candleholders. Handmade in the village of Chililico, Hidalgo, Central Mexico, primiti...
Category

Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art

Materials

Pottery

ANTIQUE Folk Art Ride On HORSE On Wheels, c. 1910
Located in Weehawken, NJ
Antique Original Folk Art Ride On Wooden Horse on Platform with Wheels, c. 1910. A stunningly handsome piece which stands on the original platform with functioning wheels. Painted on...
Category

1910s Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Wood

Liberia Bassa Mask
Located in Chicago, IL
Covered with an extraordinary black crusted patina, this wooden Liberian mask was hand-crafted in the style of the Bassa ethnic group. Bassa communities have a number of rich masking...
Category

20th Century Liberian Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Paint

H67cm Swedish Horse, handmade folk craft circa 1800, highly decorative element
Located in Forest, BE
Big Swedish horse from the early 19th century. Made of pine wood with the famous red paint. It is worn but in a very nice way. The patina shows the trace of time. There's a whole on ...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art

Materials

Pine

Contemporary hand-sewn Fragments quilt by British master maker
Located in London, GB
'Fragments' quilt in Blues colourway by British artist-maker, Emily Campbell. Emily’s knowledge of sewing combines with the formal and visual principles she learned as a two-dimensional designer to re-imagine the patchwork quilt. She has interpreted traditional patchwork geometry, dispensing with floral prints in favour of bold combinations of solid colour. Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand. Bespoke sizes are therefore possible. An accomplished undergraduate dress and costume maker, Emily progressed from an English degree to a diploma in Clothing Technology and became a pattern maker for the fashion designer Jean Muir. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Art she practised as a graphic designer at Pentagram in New York before embarking on a series of national and international programme director roles in the arts, design and education. In 2012, a quilt made from old denim and canvas work clothes featured in an exhibition about Gee’s Bend (the famed quilting community in Alabama). This prompted Emily to up-cycle the family’s old jeans into her first patchwork quilt. She studied rhythm, rule and variation in Anni Albers’ pattern drawings. She took inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Victor Pasmore and Ellsworth Kelly, and many more artists besides. Emily is the founder of Pemberton Qwilts. This takes its name from Sheila Frances Hayes, née Pemberton, who first taught Emily to sew. Three of Emily’s ‘TV Quilts’ were commissioned by Anya Hindmarch for her concept store at London Fashion Week 2023. These bear a single word of personal significance (see images). Emily was also among the textile artists selected for a group show at David Parr House, Cambridge that year.  Helen...
Category

2010s British Folk Art

Materials

Natural Fiber, Silk, Linen, Cotton

Contemporary hand-sewn Drunkard's Path quilt by British master maker
Located in London, GB
'Drunkard's Path' quilt in Kuba colourway by British artist-maker, Emily Campbell. Emily’s knowledge of sewing combines with the formal and visual principles she learned as a two-dimensional designer to re-imagine the patchwork quilt. She has interpreted traditional patchwork geometry, dispensing with floral prints in favour of bold combinations of solid colour. Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand. Bespoke sizes are therefore possible. An accomplished undergraduate dress and costume maker, Emily progressed from an English degree to a diploma in Clothing Technology and became a pattern maker for the fashion designer Jean Muir. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Art she practised as a graphic designer at Pentagram in New York before embarking on a series of national and international programme director roles in the arts, design and education. In 2012, a quilt made from old denim and canvas work clothes featured in an exhibition about Gee’s Bend (the famed quilting community in Alabama). This prompted Emily to up-cycle the family’s old jeans into her first patchwork quilt. She studied rhythm, rule and variation in Anni Albers’ pattern drawings. She took inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Victor Pasmore and Ellsworth Kelly, and many more artists besides. Emily is the founder of Pemberton Qwilts. This takes its name from Sheila Frances Hayes, née Pemberton, who first taught Emily to sew. Three of Emily’s ‘TV Quilts’ were commissioned by Anya Hindmarch for her concept store at London Fashion Week 2023. These bear a single word of personal significance (see images). Emily was also among the textile artists selected for a group show at David Parr House, Cambridge that year.  Helen...
Category

2010s British Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Linen, Silk, Natural Fiber

1970's Nicaraguan Mask Folk Art
Located in Vancouver, BC
A traditional Indian dance mask from the town of Monimbo, adopted by the rebels during the fight against Somoza. These were worn in order to conceal one's identity. It is a very un...
Category

1970s Nicaraguan Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Metal, Wire

Contemporary hand-sewn Meander quilt by British master maker
Located in London, GB
'Meander' quilt by British artist-maker, Emily Campbell. Emily’s knowledge of sewing combines with the formal and visual principles she learned as a two-dimensional designer to re-imagine the patchwork quilt. She has interpreted traditional patchwork geometry, dispensing with floral prints in favour of bold combinations of solid colour. Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand. Bespoke sizes are therefore possible. An accomplished undergraduate dress and costume maker, Emily progressed from an English degree to a diploma in Clothing Technology and became a pattern maker for the fashion designer Jean Muir. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Art she practised as a graphic designer at Pentagram in New York before embarking on a series of national and international programme director roles in the arts, design and education. In 2012, a quilt made from old denim and canvas work clothes featured in an exhibition about Gee’s Bend (the famed quilting community in Alabama). This prompted Emily to up-cycle the family’s old jeans into her first patchwork quilt. She studied rhythm, rule and variation in Anni Albers’ pattern drawings. She took inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Victor Pasmore and Ellsworth Kelly, and many more artists besides. Emily is the founder of Pemberton Qwilts. This takes its name from Sheila Frances Hayes, née Pemberton, who first taught Emily to sew. Three of Emily’s ‘TV Quilts’ were commissioned by Anya Hindmarch for her concept store at London Fashion Week 2023. These bear a single word of personal significance (see images). Emily was also among the textile artists selected for a group show at David Parr House, Cambridge that year. Helen Chislett...
Category

2010s British Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Linen, Silk, Natural Fiber

Contemporary hand-sewn Shoeman's Puzzle quilt by British master maker
Located in London, GB
'Shoeman's Puzzle' quilt in Carnival colourway by British artist-maker, Emily Campbell. Emily’s knowledge of sewing combines with the formal and visual principles she learned as a two-dimensional designer to re-imagine the patchwork quilt. She has interpreted traditional patchwork geometry, dispensing with floral prints in favour of bold combinations of solid colour. Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand. Bespoke sizes are therefore possible. An accomplished undergraduate dress and costume maker, Emily progressed from an English degree to a diploma in Clothing Technology and became a pattern maker for the fashion designer Jean Muir. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Art she practised as a graphic designer at Pentagram in New York before embarking on a series of national and international programme director roles in the arts, design and education. In 2012, a quilt made from old denim and canvas work clothes featured in an exhibition about Gee’s Bend (the famed quilting community in Alabama). This prompted Emily to up-cycle the family’s old jeans into her first patchwork quilt. She studied rhythm, rule and variation in Anni Albers’ pattern drawings. She took inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Victor Pasmore and Ellsworth Kelly, and many more artists besides. Emily is the founder of Pemberton Qwilts. This takes its name from Sheila Frances Hayes, née Pemberton, who first taught Emily to sew. Three of Emily’s ‘TV Quilts’ were commissioned by Anya Hindmarch for her concept store at London Fashion Week 2023. These bear a single word of personal significance (see images). Emily was also among the textile artists selected for a group show at David Parr House, Cambridge that year.  Helen...
Category

2010s British Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Linen, Silk, Natural Fiber

Contemporary hand-sewn Trianni quilt by British master maker
Located in London, GB
'Trianni' quilt in Kuba colourway by British artist-maker, Emily Campbell. Emily’s knowledge of sewing combines with the formal and visual principles she learned as a two-dimensional designer to re-imagine the patchwork quilt. She has interpreted traditional patchwork geometry, dispensing with floral prints in favour of bold combinations of solid colour. Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand. Bespoke sizes are therefore possible. An accomplished undergraduate dress and costume maker, Emily progressed from an English degree to a diploma in Clothing Technology and became a pattern maker for the fashion designer Jean Muir. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Art she practised as a graphic designer at Pentagram in New York before embarking on a series of national and international programme director roles in the arts, design and education. In 2012, a quilt made from old denim and canvas work clothes featured in an exhibition about Gee’s Bend (the famed quilting community in Alabama). This prompted Emily to up-cycle the family’s old jeans into her first patchwork quilt. She studied rhythm, rule and variation in Anni Albers’ pattern drawings. She took inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Victor Pasmore and Ellsworth Kelly, and many more artists besides. Emily is the founder of Pemberton Qwilts. This takes its name from Sheila Frances Hayes, née Pemberton, who first taught Emily to sew. Three of Emily’s ‘TV Quilts’ were commissioned by Anya Hindmarch for her concept store at London Fashion Week 2023. These bear a single word of personal significance (see images). Emily was also among the textile artists selected for a group show at David Parr House, Cambridge that year.  Helen...
Category

2010s British Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Linen, Silk, Natural Fiber

Moroccan Vintage Berber Tribal Ethnic Cuff
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage Moroccan Berber tribal bracelet from the High Atlas of Morocco. Handcrafted by Berber women using Moroccan silver nickel. The...
Category

20th Century Moroccan Folk Art

Materials

Metal

Contemporary hand-sewn Vortex quilt by British master maker
Located in London, GB
'Vortex' quilt in Red colourway by British artist-maker, Emily Campbell. Emily’s knowledge of sewing combines with the formal and visual principles she learned as a two-dimensional designer to re-imagine the patchwork quilt. She has interpreted traditional patchwork geometry, dispensing with floral prints in favour of bold combinations of solid colour. Emily quilts all her designs for us by hand. Bespoke sizes are therefore possible. An accomplished undergraduate dress and costume maker, Emily progressed from an English degree to a diploma in Clothing Technology and became a pattern maker for the fashion designer Jean Muir. After completing her Master of Fine Arts at Yale School of Art she practised as a graphic designer at Pentagram in New York before embarking on a series of national and international programme director roles in the arts, design and education. In 2012, a quilt made from old denim and canvas work clothes featured in an exhibition about Gee’s Bend (the famed quilting community in Alabama). This prompted Emily to up-cycle the family’s old jeans into her first patchwork quilt. She studied rhythm, rule and variation in Anni Albers’ pattern drawings. She took inspiration from Gustav Klimt, Victor Pasmore and Ellsworth Kelly, and many more artists besides. Emily is the founder of Pemberton Qwilts. This takes its name from Sheila Frances Hayes, née Pemberton, who first taught Emily to sew. Three of Emily’s ‘TV Quilts’ were commissioned by Anya Hindmarch for her concept store at London Fashion Week 2023. These bear a single word of personal significance (see images). Emily was also among the textile artists selected for a group show at David Parr House, Cambridge that year.  Helen...
Category

2010s British Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Linen, Silk, Natural Fiber

3 Carved Drake Duck Decoys Big Sky Carvers Craig Fellows DA Callaway 19"
Located in Dayton, OH
Three vintage 1980's hand carved wooden duck decoys with stained feather details and amber glass eyes. Two by Craig Fellows of Big Sky C...
Category

1980s Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Hardwood

Duluth Fish Decoy American Folk Art Carved Painted Orca Killer Whale Sculpture
By Duluth
Located in Forney, TX
A scarce early Duluth Fish Decoy American folk art sculpture, depicting a Orca killer whale, hand-carved by the late David Earl Perkins (Duluth, Minnesota, 1934-2018), featuring the realistic original hand-painted black finish with cream white accents, glass eyes and metal fins, signed at the underside "DFD", on a lead weight. circa 1960s/1970s Originally based on lures used for winter spear fishing, see below for the Duluth Fish Decoy story. - Dimensions: (approx) 8" Wide, 3.25" High, 4.75" Deep - Provenance / Acquisition: Property from a prominent Dallas, Texas estate Acquired from highly reputable auction house, Austin Auction Gallery, est.1983, Austin, Texas - Very good original vintage condition with beautifully aged patina and typical wear, character and charm - The Duluth Fish Decoys Story: (From the DFD website and in the words of Dave & Jim Perkins) "I guess it all started when I speared my first northern pike – what a thrill.  The only thing better was to spear one lured in with a decoy I made myself. I made more decoys to spear more fish and found out I liked making decoys as much as spearing northerns.  Well, soon enough, my decoy/lunch box had more decoys than lunch. So I laid off the making and stepped up the spearing. Then when the fish tore them up and they scraped up against each other in the lunch box and they rolled around on the floor of the dark-house they weathered with an aged, charactered, antique patina.  It wasn't long before friends paid more mind to my spearing decoys than my fish stories.  Said they’d like to have some to set on the mantle – said they were folky.  So I laid off the spearing and stepped up the carving. Now I've been making DFD (Duluth Fish Decoys) spearing  decoys for longer than I want to admit – they say you’re only as old as you think you are. Being on the north side of seventy, I been making them for… let’s just say a long time.   I don’t know a web site from a stick of fire wood but the kids and grand-kids have been pestering me to get one for years. In fact, I told Jim, you make the web thing and I'll make the decoys that go on it.  But with the demand being more than I can keep up with, he's been making them right alongside of me - just like when he was a kid. Great to keep it in the family - two generations of DFD. Who'd of thunk it.   What a hoot it’s been to create something so enjoyed by others. Along the way our DFD decoys have ended up in The American Museum of Folk Art, on a limited edition print, in a governor’s mansion, in Hollywood actors' homes, in fishing decoy books, with interior designers, in art galleries, on a DVD, and now in a coffee table book devoted entirely to DFD.  What a hobby it’s been – what a blessing of God.   I hope to continue as long as my health holds out.   Lo, these many years later our DFD spearing decoys are still hand-crafted with that aged, weathered, antique patina.  As with all folk art there’s no two alike.  The pictures give the length of the decoy but it may vary by a half an inch.  They all have glass eyes and are hand painted with a brush – no air brush for us. The lead belly...
Category

Mid-20th Century American Folk Art

Materials

Metal

Seresier Louise-Juste Haitian Steel Sculpture C. 1970's
Located in Vancouver, BC
Recycled steel oil drum in folk art style. Meaning, Seresier would find oil drums that would have washed up on the beach in Haiti and pounded flat and then cut out these figures. They feature themes of Haitian Mythology. An incredible piece of artwork. Signature etched on bottom. Can be hung or has ability to stand up on flat surface. Biography The Louisjuste brothers -Seresier, Janvier, and Joseph,- were born in Croix-des-Bouquets, Haiti. They learned the art-form from the originator of Haitian metals...
Category

1970s Haitian Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Cut Steel

Early 20Thc Wool Amish Pennsylvania Bars Quilt
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This fine all wool bars quilt is from Lancaster County, Pennsylvania and has very fine tight quilting & in very good condition. The simple cool colors are also amazing as it goes wit...
Category

1920s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Wool

A rare folk art papier mâché and straw work study of a duckling, circa 1920
Located in Central England, GB
This most rare and unusual folk art study of a duckling is remarkable in its fine detail. It is constructed of papier mâché which is then been veneered with cut and shaped straw whi...
Category

Early 20th Century English Folk Art

Materials

Other

Brazilian Wai Wai Tribal Cassava Graters Circa 1945
Located in Dallas, TX
Brazilian Wei Wei Casava Graters Two graters constructed of wood and sharpened rock used by the Wai Wai Indigenous tribe of Northern Brazil to process raw Cas...
Category

1940s Brazilian Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Stone

Elena Basilevsky Painted Stone Sculpture
Located in New York, NY
Elena Basilevsky (XX) painted stone sculpture of a musician, signed to side and mounted to ebonized base. Overall: 11" H x 7.75" W x 4.25" D.
Category

20th Century Folk Art

Materials

Stone

Sea Shell Encrusted Folk Art Photo Frame - 4" x 6"
Located in Oklahoma City, OK
A rectangular sea shell-encrusted photo frame with protective glass and a black easel at the back. Perfect for a side table or nightstand. Dimensions: The overall size of the frame...
Category

20th Century American Folk Art

Materials

Shell, Glass

Early 20th Century English Fairground Carousel Boards
Located in London, GB
Early 20th Century English Fairground Carousel Boards A matched pair of early 20th century hand crafted pine English fairground carousel boards, that would have been part of a larg...
Category

1920s British Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Pine

Rare Folk Art Iron Shooting Gallery Carnival Ram Sculpture
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Fabulous folk art freestanding animal sculpture made from found carnival art shooting gallery iron ram. Rich with authentic character, the brown patinated surface is pocked with bul...
Category

Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art

Materials

Iron

Salampasu Mask
Located in Chicago, IL
This ceremonial African mask is linked to the Salampasu people of the Bantu ethnic group located primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Salampasu masks...
Category

Mid-20th Century Congolese Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Bamboo

Enchanting Folk Art Painting of Rooster on Tin
Located in Hopewell, NJ
Enchanting self taught art from Kentucky of a country rooster with the words Fresh Eggs scrawled boldly, all on distressed tin mounted on board. Was probably used as a roadside sign.
Category

1950s American Vintage Folk Art

Materials

Tin

Rare Prototype / Maquette Cardboard Chaise Lounge by Joel Stearns
By Joel Stearns
Located in Buffalo, NY
One of only eight made !! Cardboard Chaise Lounge designed and created by Joel Stearns, similar to one in the Lois Lambert Gallery..Amazing modernist sculpture.. ,Joel Stearns, wh...
Category

1990s American Folk Art

Materials

Paper

Antique Ethnic Artifact Sepik River Cassowary Bone from Papua New Guinea
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Antique Ethnic Artifact Sepik River Cassowary Bone from Papua New Guinea For many groups in Papua New Guinea, bone was an important medium for making tools of all types. This artifact is made from leg bone of a cassowary, a large, flightless, and extremely dangerous, bird. Cassowaries also play an important role in the mythology of groups in the Sepik River area. Though no longer used these bone artifacts are still used ceremonially. They often play important roles in male initiation and other rituals. They are also worn as personal adornment by tucking them into a band of braided fibers worn around the upper arm. Antique Ethnic Bone Cassowary Artifact with minimal carving and incised design confined to the joint end. A small hole has been drilled through from both sides of the top and presumably for the threading of a cord. The bone has been partially divided near the top and to form two prongs that project down the back of the dagger possibly allowing the user to wear is tuck into a waist band or belt. Origin Papua New Guinea Maprik Dist Area From the Art Collection of Marian and John Scott, acquired in 1962. Similar items are in display in the Timothy S. Y. Lam Museum of Anthropology. Purchased from the amazing private collection of Mark Lissauer who spent his life collecting niche ethnographic pieces. About Mark Lissauer: Mark Lissauer spent forty years travelling abroad for months at a time collecting ethnographic artefacts primarily from New Guinea and the islands of the West Pacific, and from Asia and Himalayan countries. Fluent in five languages and having in the course of business travelled to more than forty countries, Mark is well-known to museums and art-collectors around the world for his long career and his interesting and diverse collection of rare ethnographic material. Mark knows the origin and symbolism of each piece. Through extensive research and more than ninety trips around the globe, Mark familiarised himself with the traditions of the various cultures he visited in order to understand the meaning of each object to its region and tribe. His home has a specialist library and several rooms are filled with tribal carvings, textiles and ethnographica. He acquired his first tribal piece in 1948 during a business trip to Milne Bay, New Guinea, and has since documented the acquisition of some 35,000 items. Several thousands of these have been sold to important private collections and museums worldwide, including the Rockefeller Museum, the British Museum and the Musée National des Arts d’Afrique et d’Océanie, now incorporated into the Louvre Museum. Estimator certificate of authenticity by Wayne Heathcote Tribal Art Dealer and Expert. Heathcote has a flash gallery in Brussels, where much of the tribal art business is centred, and is an expert at Sotheby's tribal art sale...
Category

Early 20th Century Folk Art

Materials

Bone

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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