Folk Art Bookends
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.
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Style: Folk Art
Vintage Mexican Carved Wood Sculpture Polychrome Bookends Siesta Folk Art 1950s
Located in North Hollywood, CA
A pair of vintage 1950s North American Mexican handmade polychrome painted wood "Mexican Siesta bookends".
Beautiful, colorful design and a great example of Mexican Folk Art male and female wood sculpture book ends, Circa 1950s.
The set is hand-carved from wood and depicts a sleeping Mexican peasant...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Wood
Vintage Owl Bookends Wood Spain, 1960s
Located in Den Haag, NL
Very nice hand carved wooden owls. 1960s Spain.
Category
1960s Spanish Vintage Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Fruitwood
Vintage American Hand Carved Wooden Decoy Duck Bookends (Pair)
Located in San Diego, CA
Beautifully sculpted and incredibly nostalgic pair of wooden decoy duck bookends. These realistic looking, duck bookends have a timeless and classic look. Made in the 1980's, these r...
Category
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Wood
Hand Carved Wooden Balinese Busts Sculptures
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage midcentury hand carved ebony wooden Balinese busts sculptures.
Hand carved sculpture in wood depicting a Balinese couple.
Bust of a man and wom...
Category
Mid-20th Century Balinese Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Wood
Vintage African Pair of Wooden Hand Carved Busts Sculptures
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Wood sculpture hand carved vintage tribal Folk Art bust of an African men and women sculptures.
Pair of vintage handcrafted wood sculptures of African men and women bust with headdress and jewelry.
These two busts depict tribal African couple...
Category
Mid-20th Century African Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Hardwood
Chinese Bookends of Soapstone hand carved, Republic Period circa 1920s
Located in Lincoln, Lincolnshire
These are a beautiful pair of Chinese soapstone Bookends made in China during the Republic period, Circa 1920.
These bookends are individ...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Soapstone
Vintage Shoe Mold Book End Sculpture
Located in W Allenhurst, NJ
Pair of size 7 cobbler shoe forms converted to bookends . marked and numbered. Metal undersides. Peg mounted on beveled plinth base. Great aged patina. They work well as bookends or ...
Category
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Metal
SULPTED MARBLE ANTIQUE LIBRARY BOOK CARVED FROM ROCK PART OF A LARGE SUiTE
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this Absolutely exquisite, hand carved from solid rock library book which is part of a suite
I have six of ...
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Stone
Pair of American Folk Art Tin Clad Pug Dog Bookends
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of American Folk Art Tin Clad Pug dog bookends
USA, circa 1940s
A great pair of hand-crafted, possibly one of kind American Folk Art Tin Clad pug d...
Category
20th Century American Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Tin
American Eagle Hand Carved Seri Ironwood Bookends 1960
Located in North Hollywood, CA
American Eagle Hand Carved Seri Ironwood Bookends circa 1960.
Vintage sculpture of the American Eagle Carved in Seri Ironwood bookends.
Handmade large carved wood eagle sculptures 1960s.
Vintage pair of Seri Ironwood animal hand-carved sculpture of the American Eagle.
Vintage Hand carved wooden beautiful design decorative bird eagle sculptures.
Set of 2 carved wood figure of an Eagle sculptures from the 1960s.
These eagle figure perched on a wooden trunk would be a great eye-catcher in any room or interior.
Great condition.
Natural dark brown color.
Dimensions for each: 10.5" H x 4.5" W x 3.5" D.
Vintage hand carved Ironwood Southwestern seri sculpture of eagles.
Ironwood Hand crafted in amazing detail from one of earth's hardest natural ironwood.
This are authentic art pieces crafted in the Sonoran Desert from native Olneya ironwood.
Found almost exclusively in the desert of Arizona, this tree is truly one of nature's wonders.
North American Southwestern desert ironwood gets its name from its amazing hardness and heavy weight (similar to petrified wood). Though this wood is very difficult to work, it is meticulously carved and etched to reveal incredible detail.
in Very nice polished heavy dark wood, no dents with a smooth finish overall excellent condition with beautiful visible wood grains.
"Mexican ironwood carvings is a handcraft that began with the Seri indigenous people of the state of Sonora. The wood comes from Olneya tesota, a Sonora Desert tree commonly called ironwood (palo fierro in Spanish). It is a slow growing important shade tree found in northwest Mexico and the southwest U.S. The wood it produces is so dense that it lacks air bubbles and sinks in water. The Ironwood comes from the heavy, dense heart wood that trees produce. The wood is one of the heaviest in the world. Traditionally, it was used for firewood and charcoal with some carving. In the mid-20th century, the Seri had to move from their traditional home of Tiburon Island to the mainland, around the same time tourism was developing in Kino Bay.
The first to carve ironwood for sale was Jose Astorga...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Wood
SCULPTED DEEP RED ANTIQUE LIBRARY BOOK CARVED FROM ROCK PART OF A LARGE SUiTE
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this Absolutely exquisite, hand carved from solid rock library book which is part of a suite
I have six of ...
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Stone
SULPTED ROUGH CUT ANTiQUE LIBRARY BOOK CARVED FROM ROCK PART OF A LARGE SUITE
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this Absolutely exquisite, hand carved from solid rock library book which is part of a suite
I have six of ...
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Stone
ORANELY SULPTED ANTIQUE LIBRARY BOOK CARVED FROM ROCK PART OF A LARGE SUiTE
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this Absolutely exquisite, hand carved from solid rock library book which is part of a suite
I have six of ...
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Stone
DISTRESSED SULPTED ANTIQUE LiBRARY BOOK CARVED FROM ROCK PART OF A LARGE SET
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this Absolutely exquisite, hand carved from solid rock library book which is part of a suite
I have six of ...
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Stone
ORANELY SULPTED ANTIQUE LIBRARY BOOK CARVED FROM ROCK OF A VERY RUSTiC PART SET
Located in West Sussex, Pulborough
Royal House Antiques
Royal House Antiques is delighted to offer for sale this Absolutely exquisite, hand carved from solid rock library book which is part of a suite
I have six of ...
Category
Early 1900s English Antique Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Stone
Pair Of Vintage Alabaster Dog Bookends
Located in Bridgeport, CT
Pair of alabaster bookends each with a seated dog. The semi-translucent stone accentuated with dark veins.
Dimensions: 2 5/8" W, 3 3/8" D and 4 3/4" H
Condition: Various signs of a...
Category
20th Century Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Alabaster
Pair of Cast Iron Tuxedo Cat Bookends or Doorstops
Located in Red Lion, PA
This charming pair of 20th-century cast iron tuxedo cat bookends captures the elegance and playfulness of these beloved felines. Heavy for their size, they ...
Category
20th Century American Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Iron
Hand Carved Marble Stone Pyramid Aztec Mayan
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Pair of vintage green and white marble Aztec Mayan stone bookends.
Vintage handcrafted large heavy natural marble bookends with Aztec Mayan green head on a pyramidal form.
These are very substantial, heavy and well handmade bookends.
They are hand carved white with white natural color of the marble and the green marble carved Mayan head...
Category
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Marble
1960’s Faux Bois Ceramic and Shell Encrusted Bookends or Wall Brackets, Signed
Located in Charleston, SC
1960’s Faux Bois ceramic and Shell Encrusted Bookends or Wall Brackets, Signed “Mmd 12/25/69”
Category
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Ceramic, Shell
Pair of Vintage American Wood Shoe Molds Bookends
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage pair of American wood women shoe form molds mounted as bookends
Vintage wooden shoe making mold from the 1930s.
A pair of shoe form converted to bookends, these well carved solid wood shoe mould would have been used to make handmade shoes.
These molds were traditionally made for each customer and would be used each time they came into the cobbler for a new pair of shoes.
They are in good original condition with the patina and metal that shows age.
Cobbler molds size 6.5 B model 258
Made from solid wood, I love these moulds because of their individual nature but also they are almost a piece of sculpture.
Since the shoe form themselves were used as molds to make shoes, there are pin-pricks and wear present from frequent use in addition to naturally aged patina. They work well as bookends or simply as tabletop sculptures.
These elegant women wooden shoes bookends form mold make a great addition to your vintage decor.
Vintage hand carved wood cobbler shoe molds...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Bookends
Materials
Wood
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Art Deco Rabbit, Hare Silver Plated Bronze Bookends, A.E.L, 1920s
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Located in Denton, TX
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Mid-Century Alabaster Mushroom Bookends, Italy, 1960s
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Vintage Danish Teak Bookends 1960s, Set of 2
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Vintage Danish teak bookends 1960s, Set of 2
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Located in North Hollywood, CA
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1950s Mexican Bookends Siesta Wood Sculpture Polychrome Folk Art
Located in North Hollywood, CA
A pair of vintage 1950s North American Mexican handmade polychrome painted wood "Mexican Siesta book ends".
Beautiful, colorful design and a great example of Mexican Folk Art male and female wood sculptured book ends, Circa 1950s.
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Vintage Carved Mexican Aztec Mayan Figure Onyx Stone Bookends 1950s
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage 1950s Pair of Carved Aztec Onyx Stone Bookends.
Mexican Aztec Mayan Figure Onyx Book Ends.Hand carved marble stone pyramid Aztec Mayan.
Pair of v...
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Pair of Vintage Cast Iron "Terrier" Dog Bookends
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
A white and yellow hand painted pair of cast iron "Terrier" bookends.
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Vintage Cast Iron Western-Style Horse Bookends
Located in North Hollywood, CA
Vintage cast iron western-style horse bookends.
Pair of cast iron saddled grazing horse bookends heavy western equestrian style.
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Pair of American Bronze USS Constitution Ship Wheel Bookends Ironside, C. 1927
Located in Charleston, SC
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Located in Essex, MA
A pair of delightfully hand carved and hand painted folk art wood owl bookends, American, late 19th century. Each owl is deeply carved and is standing on a red book, with its back up...
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Folk Art bookends for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique Folk Art bookends for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the Mid-20th Century, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage bookends created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include more furniture and collectibles, decorative objects, asian art and furniture and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, hardwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art bookends made in a specific country, there are North America, United States, and Mexico 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 bookends differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $265 and tops out at $1,950 while the average work can sell for $388.