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.
19th Century North American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Textile, Wood
1890s Austrian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Bronze
1890s Austrian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal, Bronze
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Antler, Wood
19th Century Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass, Iron
Late 19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Steel
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone, Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper, Wood, Glass
Late 19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Tin
19th Century Congolese Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bronze
Early 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Mercury Glass
1880s German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood
1880s Unknown Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Composition
Mid-19th Century Turkish Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Composition
1890s German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Fabric, Velvet, Wood
1890s German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wire, Sheet Metal
1890s German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
19th Century Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Sycamore
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Antler, Wood
19th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone, Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1890s German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Mid-19th Century Brazilian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Cedar
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Antler, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver, Sheet Metal
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone, Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Early 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass
Late 19th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood, Bone
Early 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone, Wood
Mid-19th Century German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
1830s American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
1890s German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Walnut, Pine
1870s American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood, Leather
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Silver
19th Century British Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood
1890s German Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Rope, Oak
19th Century Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Iron
1890s American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Metal
19th Century Unknown Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Bone
19th Century Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Brass, Copper
1890s Austrian Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Antler, Wood
19th Century Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Glass, Wood
1890s American Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Wool
1850s Unknown Antique Folk Art Collectibles and Curiosities
Paper