Native American Tribal Art
Native American broadly describes any Indigenous people in North America and encompasses hundreds of tribes and groups, all with distinct cultures. Native American–style furniture and decor likewise varies widely, from pieces created by Indigenous people to those appropriated by non-native designers.
Indigenous furniture’s rich heritage includes the bentwood boxes of the Northwest Coast carved from cedar for storing household or ceremonial objects. Generations of Native American people have made baskets for holding household items, with those in the Northeast using sweetgrass and those in the Southeast using pine needles and wicker. Artisans in the Plateau region wove watertight pieces like cradles from plant materials. Although these objects were intricately made, they were usually utilitarian rather than decorative.
The colonization of North America and the removal of Indigenous people from their lands led to the suppression of these practices. Many styles that used Native American motifs — such as Southwestern style, which was heavily influenced by the geometric patterns of Navajo textiles — have historically not involved Indigenous creators and, instead, have taken their traditions without their tribal context.
When decorating a home with Native American–style furniture, it is important to do so respectfully, by understanding the origins of motifs and objects and examining who profits from their sale. There are now Indigenous-led companies, such as Cherokee designer Cray Bauxmont-Flynn’s Amatoya and Totem House Design, promoting Indigenous work in furniture and home decor. Supporting Indigenous artists and artisans is essential to confronting the still pervasive issue of cultural appropriation in design.
Find a collection of Native American living room furniture, folk art, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
Late 19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Hide, Beads
Mid-20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Hide, Wood
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Stone
20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Pottery
Early 20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Willow
1970s American Vintage Native American Tribal Art
Coral
Late 20th Century Native American Tribal Art
Early 20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Willow
Early 20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Wood
Early 20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Hide, Beads
Mid-20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Stone, Silver
19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Leather, Beads
20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Pottery
Late 19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Hide
Late 19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Hide
Late 19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Hide
19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Brass
19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Horn
19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Mid-19th Century Canadian Antique Native American Tribal Art
Beads, Silk, Wool
Mid-20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Natural Fiber
20th Century American Native American Tribal Art
Pottery
Late 19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Beads
Mid-19th Century American Antique Native American Tribal Art
Wood