Folk Art Games
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.
Style: Folk Art
Color: Brown
19th Century Bocce Balls, France, Set of Three
Located in Point Richmond, CA
Late 19th to early 20th century bocce balls, France, set of three
boxwood, iron and brass nails.
The first ball has the letters PP in brass, the second ha...
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Brass, Iron
Large Marble Solitaire Board Game with 33 Early Handmade Clay Marbles
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a complete board game of marble solitaire with a large turned maple board from the 20th century and handmade clay or stone marbles from the mi...
Category
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Games
Materials
Stone
Combination Board Game of Marble Solitaire and Tiddlywinks, circa 1925
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a complete combination board game of marble solitaire and tiddlywinks, dating to the early 20th century.
This is a most unusual and very de...
Category
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Games
Materials
Glass, Hardwood
Indoor Cricket Game Hand Made Wood Set of 18 Pieces, circa 1900
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is an original wooden Cricket Game, all handmade, comprising 18 pieces, for indoor use on a table or carpet, all dating to the late 19th or early 20th century, circa 1900.
Th...
Category
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Late 19th Century Napoleonic Prisoner of War Dominos
Located in London, GB
POW Dominos 28
late 19th Century Napoleonic prisoner of war (POW) hand carved set of dominos, in a sliding painted lid box.
Size in inches: BOX H 5” x W 1.8” x D 1.2” (28 Domi...
Category
1880s Unknown Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Bone
Late 19th Century Fairground Knock Down Figure
Located in London, GB
Jeu De Massacre Fairground Figure
One of the finest examples of a late 19th Century fairground knock down figure we have had the pleasure to obtain, in ...
Category
Early 1900s French Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Victorian Marble Solitaire Fine Hardwood Board with 33 Clay and Stone Marbles
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is an original and complete game of Marble Solitaire with a very good polished hand turned hardwood board and 33 early clay and stone marbles, all dating to the mid-19th century, Victorian period.
The board is finely hand turned with good detail, made of well figured hardwood, possibly red walnut and sitting on three small bun feet. It has 32 equi-spaced holes with an additional one in the center and a gallery to the outer perimeter. This board is particularly good with a lovely mellow color, developed over many years of use and polishing.
It comes complete with a full set of 33 ( 32 + one spare) early handmade playing marbles...
Category
Mid-19th Century English Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Stone
French Wooden Table Top Football Soccer Game
Located in Chillerton, Isle of Wight
French wooden table top football soccer game
This is one for the Boys, it is a 1930s table football game from France, the game has the players in white ...
Category
Early 20th Century Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Complete Handmade Game Box with Dominoes, Six Dice & Playing Cards, circa 1940s
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a very good handmade Inlaid, lidded games box or compendium, complete with a 6-spot Dominoe set, 6 dice and a set of playing cards, which we date to the mid-20th century, circa 1940s.
This is a lovely handmade Treen like games box set or compendium comprising;
A complete set of handmade wood 6-spot dominoes with brass inlaid detail
Six handmade wood dice with inlaid brass detail.
A set of boxed...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Games
Materials
Brass
Early 20th C Game Board with Orig Painted Black and Red Squares
Located in Troy, MI
Found in England, this circa 1900 hand painted checker board with black and red squares and thin yellow and green outline at the outer border. Board is slightly bowed with age.
Category
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Indoor Croquet Set Game for 7 Players in Jointed Wood Box, Early 20th Century
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is an original indoor or carpet croquet set game, coming with its own jointed wooden storage box, all dating to the early 20th century, circa 1930.
This is a classic game of strategy and skill, fun to play for all age groups.
The set has seven different colored balls and wood mallets...
Category
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Games
Materials
Metal
Large Vintage Carousel Handmade Erzgebirge Germany
Located in Kitzbuhel, AT
Large handmade carousel in wood. Decorated with African animals in two levels. Handmade and hand painted in Erzgebirge Germany circa 1930. Unique and very decorative item.
No motor!
Category
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Wood Lawn Bowling Game Original Caddy and Bowling Balls, circa 1900
Located in Santa Monica, CA
Lawn bowling set and caddy. The best orange and yellow paint. Great as a display or design accessory. Or play the game! Complete and as good as it gets. Includes 14 wood carved pins...
Category
Early 1900s North American Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Related Items
19th C Original Painted Game Board
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th C original painted game board. Nice original Salmon and black paint.
Category
19th Century North American Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
19th Chinese Checkers Game Board with Original Paint
Located in Los Angeles, CA
19th Chinese checkers game board with original paint form Pennsylvania. beautiful colors and patina.
Category
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Chinese Wooden Block Printing Set, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Chinese innovations in ink, block printing, and movable type fueled global advancements in printing technology, expanding the range of influence of the written word. These printing innovations can be attributed to Chinese Buddhist devotees, who embraced woodblock printing as an important vehicle to spread sutras and good spirits.
Though the printing press is said to have been invented in China, it never offered the same efficiencies to Chinese culture as it did in the West, due to the near endless numbers of Chinese characters and the labor involved in manipulating them.
Enclosed in a contemporary wooden frame, each of the miniature wood blocks included in this early 20th-century type set was hand-carved with a Chinese character. Each is a unique and wonderful curiosity, providing an unusual look at a moment in time.
Each set contains approximately 70 individual tiles.
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Miniature Travelling Chess Set Game handmade & Pokerwork Board / Box, Circa 1900
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a high quality handmade Miniature or travelling wood chess set game of 32 pieces in its own lidded pokerwork decorated box, which we date to the English Edwardian period, circa 1900.
This piece is all handmade. The chess set is complete with 32 wood chess pieces. The box is also handmade of wood, opening up to make a pokerwork chess board with further pokerwork design to the sides. All the pieces are hand carved, probably from boxwood with the black ones stained . The box has metal hinges and a brass fastener to keep the lid securely closed, with the pieces inside.
Overall a quality antique handmade, complete, travelling chess set...
Category
Late 19th Century British Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Brass
H 1.5 in W 6.75 in D 3.38 in
Charming French Papier Mache and Wood Large Antique Horse, 19th Century
Located in London, GB
With original leather bridle, saddle, head-dress and accompanying booklet.
A wonderful thing, beautiful patina.
Category
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Leather, Wood, Paper
Antique Chinese Mahjong Tile Game Set with Case C1900
Located in Big Flats, NY
Antique Chinese Mahjong Tile Game Set with Case C1900
Measures- 8''H x 9.5''W x 6.5''D
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
19th Century American Folk Art Game Board
Located in Chicago, IL
This 19th-century American folk art game board is a quintessential example of the ingenuity and aesthetic appeal found in traditional American crafts. Composed of alternating walnut ...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Maple, Walnut
Michael Graves Backgammon Game Set, circa 2000
Located in New York, NY
A backgammon board designed by famed architect Michael Graves.
Imported, circa 1990.
Signed with metal tag.
Finely constructed of cherry stained hardwood and veneers.
Features ...
Category
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood, Resin
Weighted Resin Chess Set Game in Jointed Wood Box Kings, Ca 1930s
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a good and complete English resin moulded "weighted" chess set game of 32 pieces, in a jointed pine box, all dating to the early/ mid 20th century, Circa 1930's.
The chess...
Category
Early 20th Century British Folk Art Games
Materials
Resin, Pine
Opulent 18th Century Baroque Reliquary of Blood of Saint St. Francis '15th Cent'
Located in North Miami, FL
Opulent 18th century Baroque carved giltwood reliquary (a container for relics) monstrance with curled scroll design. It houses a first-class relic of the blood of the15th Century sa...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood, Giltwood
H 11 in W 6 in D 2 in
19th Century Complete Games Compendium in Hardwood Jointed Box Many Games
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a high quality Games Compendium, complete with over 8 individual games, all in its original hardwood storage box with a hinged lid.
All the pieces are well made and complete.
The box is made of a jointed hardwood, possibly red walnut and is a high quality piece in its own right.
The box has developed a lovely color and patination from use and wear.
The box lid has two brass hinges and two brass loop catches to secure it closed. The interior is sectioned into different sub compartments by hardwood dividers.
Many different games are included within the compendium, including;
Horse racing game...
Category
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Brass
H 3.15 in W 12.38 in D 7.8 in
Early 20th Century French Marquetry Game Box, Backgammon, Checkers
Located in Fayetteville, AR
This French walnut marquetry folding game box from the early twentieth century is for checkers and backgammon. It is finely constructed with dovetailed corners, inset hinges, and a l...
Category
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Games
Materials
Leather, Felt, Fruitwood, Pearwood, Walnut
Previously Available Items
19th Century Napoleonic Prisoner of War Game Set
Located in London, GB
Napoleonic prisoner of war game set
An aged example of an early 19th Century mutton bone hand crafted prisoner of was games set. Including a slide top sec...
Category
1820s French Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Bone
Vintage Mechanical Hand-Painted Wind-Up Duck on Bike
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage style mechanical tin metal wind-up duck on bike.
In good working order
This vintage style wind-up toy is made of beautify printed tin.
Use the key to wind up the colorfully dressed happy duck...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Games
Materials
Metal
Marble Solitaire Game Hardwood Board 33 Agate Mineral Stone Marbles, circa 1930s
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a very attractive complete game of Marble Solitaire with a hand turned hardwood board and 33 beautiful agate mineral stone marbles, probably French and all dating to the first half of the 20th century, circa 1930s.
The circular hand turned board is made of hardwood, probably mahogany, with a very good grain figure. The board has 32 equi-spaced holes with an additional one in the centre and a gallery to the outer perimeter. The board has developed a nice soft color and patina from many years of use.
It comes complete with a full set of 33 (32 Plus 1 spare) early handmade playing marbles.
Early marbles are very collectable in their own right and the marbles in this set are nominally about 9/16 inches in diameter. They are made from agate or mineral stone with a mixture of some lovely colors.
Popular in the court of Louis the XIV, the game was supposedly invented by a nobleman incarcerated in the Bastille in France during the 17th century and was popular in the court of Louis XIV. It is a challenging game for the fan of strategy and skill and became one of the more popular games of the last few 100 years.
To play, place all 32 marbles with one hole left unoccupied in the middle of the board. The objective is simply to remove all but one of the marbles by jumping one marble over another, similar to the game of Draughts. The marble jumped is removed to the gallery around the side of the board.
This is a particularly nice set, with a very good hand turned board and beautiful agate marbles!
Category
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Games
Materials
Stone
Early 20th Century Fairground Roulette Game
Located in London, GB
Early 20th century fairground roulette game
A highly decorative and character filled early 20th Century fairground roulette stye game. With its worn and...
Category
1940s British Vintage Folk Art Games
Materials
Pine
Early 20th C Game Board with Orig Painted Black and Gold Squares and Red Edges
Located in Troy, MI
Circa 1900 hand painted game board found in England. Red edges with gold crown motif and black and gold squares. Makes a great wall piece. Unknown maker.
Category
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
H 17.75 in W 13.5 in D 0.75 in
19th Century Napoleonic Prisoner of War Dominos Set
Located in London, GB
19th Century Napoleonic Prisoner of War dominos set
We are proud to offer a set of hand carved mutton bone prisoner of war dominos. 48 dominos in total which come encased in a hand carved wooden sliding lid box...
Category
1880s French Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Bone, Pine
Large Wooden Folk Art Chess table top or Checkers Game Board
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Wooden Folk Art game board for chess or checkers.
The large board is hand crafted with inlay surrounding each individual square. The frame of the board has a slight bevel adding to ...
Category
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Fruitwood, Oak, Wood
Antique English Skittles/Lawn Bowling Wood Game Set
Located in Chicago, IL
Large antique English skittles/lawn bowling game set. Set includes 11 pins 18.5” by 6”, 2 big balls 10” diameter and 4 small 5" diameter.
Category
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Early 20th C Game Board with Original Painted Black Squares and Hearts
Located in Troy, MI
Circa 1900s wooden game board found in England has its original paint in red/orange and black checkerboard embellished with hearts at the sides. Unknown maker.
Category
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Games
Materials
Wood
Handmade Boxwood Chess Set Complete Game Pine Lidded Box 78mm Kings, circa 1920
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
This is a very good and complete handmade, boxwood chess set game of 32 pieces in a good jointed pine box with a sliding lid, which we date to the earlier part of the 20th century, circa 1920 period, or possibly earlier.
The chess set is complete with 32 handmade and turned boxwood pieces, the black pieces being stained. The box is handmade of pine with a compartment separator, jointed corners and a good fitting sliding lid, all having a good color.
Kings are 78mm high (about 3~1/16inches)
Pawns about 35 mm high (1~3/8 inch)
Overall a good handmade boxed chess set.
Category
Early 20th Century British Folk Art Games
Materials
Boxwood, Pine
H 2.38 in W 7.25 in D 3.88 in
Large Size American Carnival Double Gaming Wheel "Choice of Stand"
Located in Savannah, GA
This large size double very colorful standing carnival wheel is an incredibly rare gaming device, and is a particularly special double-wheel model. The i...
Category
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Games
Materials
Metal
Early 20th Century Scratch-Built Pine and Metal English Fairground Gaming Wheel
Located in London, GB
We are proud to offer a charming example of an early 20th century scratch-built pine and metal fairground gaming wheel. In full working order with lead weighted dial.
Size: Box: ...
Category
1920s European Vintage Folk Art Games
Materials
Pine
H 11 in W 13 in D 2 in
Folk Art games for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique folk art games for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Early 20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage games created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, more furniture and collectibles and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with paper and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art games made in a specific country, there are North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. 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 games differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $695 and tops out at $695 while the average work can sell for $695.
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