Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
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.
Early 1900s French Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
20th Century Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Silver
20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1940s French Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Concrete
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Aluminum
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Antler
1920s English Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Mid-20th Century Afghan Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wool
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Mid-20th Century North American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Oak, Pine
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
Late 20th Century Kenyan Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Beads
20th Century French Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather, Velvet, Plaster
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 20th Century Indian Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Ebony
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Aluminum, Iron, Tin
20th Century North American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Early 20th Century Kuwaiti Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather, Softwood
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1940s European Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Pine
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Clay, Wood
20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone, Wood
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Cotton
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
20th Century Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Sterling Silver
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
Late 20th Century English Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
Late 20th Century Indian Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1920s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Leather
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Canvas, Wood
Early 1900s North American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper
1940s British Vintage Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver, Enamel