Folk Art Home Accents
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.
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Home Accents
Limestone, Marble
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Pine, Paint
20th Century French Folk Art Home Accents
Mirror, Wood
Mid-20th Century African Folk Art Home Accents
Hardwood
Early 19th Century Moldovan Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Home Accents
Brass, Copper
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Iron
2010s Ethiopian Folk Art Home Accents
Aluminum
Mid-19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Italian Folk Art Home Accents
Metallic Thread
20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Brass
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Iron
1840s American Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Iron, Sheet Metal
Mid-20th Century Balinese Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Metal
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Enamel
19th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Home Accents
Fabric, Canvas
20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Tin
1960s Spanish Vintage Folk Art Home Accents
Fruitwood
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Iron
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Home Accents
Soapstone
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Home Accents
Marble
Early 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Home Accents
Leather
Early 19th Century Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Brass
18th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Brass
1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Maple
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Early 1900s North American Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Mid-20th Century Kenyan Folk Art Home Accents
Hardwood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Shell
Mid-19th Century Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Pine
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Home Accents
Brass
Mid-20th Century Danish Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Shell
20th Century Folk Art Home Accents
Metal
Late 19th Century Burmese Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Brass
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Home Accents
Wood
Mid-19th Century Romanian Antique Folk Art Home Accents
Wood