Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
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.
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wrought Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Cotton
Early 20th Century Guatemalan Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
1920s British Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Pine
1950s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
1890s Slovak Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
Early 1900s French Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
20th Century North American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
1980s Italian Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass, Metal
19th Century American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Tin
21st Century and Contemporary French Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
1840s Dutch Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Zinc
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Pine
1920s German Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Blown Glass
20th Century Persian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wool
20th Century Argentine Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Other
1880s American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
20th Century European Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
1890s Japanese Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Ebony
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
20th Century English Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Bone, Wood
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal, Silver, Enamel
Mid-19th Century Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Oak
Early 19th Century French Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
1890s American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Blown Glass, Paint
Early 20th Century German Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Tin
1970s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wool
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal, Silver Plate
Mid-20th Century Peruvian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Fabric
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paint, Linen, Hemp, Paper, Feathers
Late 19th Century British Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Earthenware
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Tin
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Early 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Leather
1920s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Tin
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
1910s French Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Pottery
1910s German Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Late 20th Century Tajikistani Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Cotton, Silk
Early 20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass
Mid-18th Century Paraguayan Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
20th Century Belgian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
1940s Mexican Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal, Metallic Thread
1940s Italian Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
1880s American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Glass, Wood, Paint
19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
1940s German Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Silver, Brass