Folk Art Toys and Dolls
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 German Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Composition
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Metal
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Iron
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Metal
Late 20th Century Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wool, Velvet, Plaster, Paint
1920s European Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Pine
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
1910s English Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Paper
1890s American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Composition
19th Century Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Iron
1890s German Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Metal, Gold Plate
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Iron
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
20th Century American Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Metal
1930s British Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Pine
1960s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Composition
Early 20th Century Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Hardwood, Paper
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
20th Century Austrian Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Composition
20th Century German Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Composition
20th Century Austrian Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Composition
1890s American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Iron
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Spelter
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
1910s French Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Pottery
Early 20th Century British Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Textile, Cotton, Silk, Thread
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Metal
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Metal
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Pine
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Spelter
1950s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Iron
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Composition
Early 20th Century Taiwanese Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Iron
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood, Paint
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Metal
1830s American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Metal
1960s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood
1890s American Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
1920s European Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Pine
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Tin
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Aluminum, Iron, Tin
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Bentwood
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Toys and Dolls
Textile, Silk, Wood