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Folk Art Side Chairs

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
18th Century Carved Moravian Or Swiss Stabelle Side Chair
Located in Bridgeport, CT
A small scale dark wood side chair with a separately made carved openwork back in a scrolled design with a heart and flower. The back has extensions on the bottom that are inserted i...
Category

18th Century Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Charming 19th Century Swedish Folk Art Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Charming Swedish folk art chair from Hälsingland in Sweden. The chair is made during the early 1800s in Swedish pine. It has the original paint which has become naturally distressed ...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Vintage Swiss/German Carved and Painted Board Chair
Located in Centennial, CO
A charming vintage Swiss or southern German carved and painted board chair with turned legs. Skillfully painted and structurally strong this chair would be a sweet accent chair in a ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine, Paint

19th Century Swedish Combination Furniture Table and Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Folk Art combination furniture table and chair. Combination furniture are great for small spaces and this works well as a coffee table or side table. Made early 1800s, circa 1820-184...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Swedish pair of tree chairs from the early 1900 Folk Art Peasant Seating
Located in Forest, BE
Confortable pair of Swedish hand carved pine trunk seats from the early 1900. Lots of history, patina and traces of time. Very good condition. Could be used to sit on a desk or a ta...
Category

Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Swedish Designer, Side Chair, Wood, Sweden, 1930s
Located in High Point, NC
A wood side or lounge chair designed and produced in Sweden, c. 1930s. Seat height: 15”
Category

1930s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Antique Swedish Folk Art Stump Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique Swedish stump chair in folk art. The chair has a round shape and is made from a hollowed pine tree stump. The chair is in untouched conditi...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Patinated Swedish Folk Art Side Chairs in Pinewood from 19th. Century
Located in Odense, DK
Charming patinated Swedish folk art chairs made in the 19th. century. All in pinewood and original paint. Great for a side chair or as a small table.
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Unique Rustic Primitive Folk Art Chair from Northern Sweden in Solid Pine
Located in Kramfors, SE
Unique rustic primitive chair in folk art from the early 19th century, northern Sweden. The chair is made by hand in solid pine and in untouched original condition with clear signs o...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Scandinavian Country Style Design Red Side Chairs, Sweden 1960's
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Scandinavian Country Style Design Red Lacquer and Rope Side Chair set of 2. Made in Sweden, 1960's period. High gloss red lacquered frame with woven rope seat. Turned and car...
Category

1960s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Rope, Beech

19th Century Combination Chair and Table
Located in Kramfors, SE
Primitive combined chair and table. This folk art combination furniture is a good example of 19th century compact living. The goal was to fit as many uses into the same item or a lim...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Vernacular Ladder Back Fireside Chair
Located in Houston, TX
Vernacular ladder back fireside chair in birch with later rush seat. Unusual decorative turned finial ears atop the back's stiles. Wonderfully slightly misshapened wooden back cross ...
Category

Mid-19th Century European Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Rush, Birch

Rare 18th Century Swedish Folk Art Chair
Located in Bozeman, MT
Rare 18th century Swedish Folk Art chair with an curved one solid piece of wood for the seat and back. The finish is original. Ca 1790 - 1800 Sweden.
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

18th Century Folk Art Carved Chair Swiss Alp History Escabelle Tyrolean Sgabello
Located in London, GB
A special, remarkably decorative, extremely rare and wonderfully striking antique European folk-art carved chair in lovely antique condition. Most likely made around 1770 in the Swiss Alps, this fabulous museum-quality historical artefact is a stunningly carved and still very usable chair, which will add a fabulously rustic, Alpine folk-art aesthetic as well as cultural interest, artistic charm and historic fascination to any interior. An incredibly rare and special chair, this was traditionally handcrafted from quality solid wood and has a charming walnut single-piece trapezoid seat displaying lovely grain, which the eight-sided legs slot into at an angle, and the back vertically. The legs are likely made from oak with the show-stopping back carved from fruitwood. A truly captivating chair, the standout feature is its extraordinary pierce-relief carved back, which casts a stunning silhouette, and its carving depicts two intertwining figure-of-eight snakes set on a shapely plinth, topped by a carved and 1471 dated crown design. Crafted in two parts, the folk-art back carving is wonderfully detailed and vernacular in style, and the pierce-relief carving denotes it as being particularly old and rare and differentiates it from later Alpine chairs, which feature solid backs onto which decorations are carved. HISTORICAL SIGNIFICANCE The Middle Ages were particularly turbulent in the Swiss Alps, as post-Roman feudal factions competed for power for more than a millennium in this important land, which intersected the larger powers of Italy, France, Germany and Austria. We believe this chair was most likely made in 1771 and that its 1471 date carving commemorated three-hundred years of the Three Leagues Alliance, (1471-1779), a coalition of three political leagues of free peoples which was created to bring about strength, unity and peace to the people in the warring Swiss Alps region (think William Tell, the revolutionary Swiss folk hero, who stood up for the peasantry against tithe-taking feudal barons in the Swiss Alps, and who was first referenced in 1474.) The free people of the Swiss Alps would have well known that peace for them and their entire region was not only brought about by, but also largely depended on, the Three Leagues Alliance, and so commemorating its inauguration date of 1471 is more than fitting for a craftsman from this region. And as snakes symbolise healing and protection, their use in conjunction with the 1471 commemorative date perfectly displays what the Swiss Alp craftsman was memorializing when creating this fascinating chair. Similar chairs can be referred to as Swiss, German, Alpine, Alsatian, Tyrolean, Sgabello or Escabelle chairs...
Category

Mid-18th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Fruitwood, Walnut, Oak

19th century primitive ladderback roped seat Folk Art farm chair
Located in STRASBOURG, FR
French Folk Art ladderback homemade farm chair with crudely roped seat, primitive design of the late 19th century. In good condition for its age, it has a beautifully aged patina and...
Category

Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Wood

Swedish Maker, Small Chair, Pine, 19th Century
Located in High Point, NC
A solid pine side chair designed and produced in Sweden, 19th century. 18.5" seat height
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Swedish country chair
Located in Kastrup, DK
Swedish country chair, untouched original, in very fine condition. Made of pine with remnants of the original dark brown paint and the original bast seat. A highly decorative chair.
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Cane, Pine

Early New England Decorated Childs Chair with Original Rush Seat
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This finely painted and decorated child's chair from New England has wonderful original gilding and fine stenciled splash. The rush seat is original to the chair. There is wear to be...
Category

19th Century American Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Beachcomber Spindle Back Chair in Walnut in Stock
Located in Los Angeles, CA
During the 18th century, a profound design movement took place in Wales. It was led by peasant-carpenters who, simply in an effort to create a practical seating option, produced one of the most elegant spindle back chairs of that time. It is known as the 'Welsh Stick Chair...
Category

2010s American Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Oak, Walnut

Beachcomber Spindle Back Chair in Walnut
Located in Los Angeles, CA
During the 18th century, a profound design movement took place in Wales. It was led by peasant-carpenters who, simply in an effort to create a practical seating option, produced one of the most elegant spindle back chairs of that time. It is known as the 'Welsh Stick Chair...
Category

2010s American Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Oak, Walnut

A Pair of Early 1800s Farmhouse Pine Chair, Hand-crafted Folk Art, Norway
Located in Skien, NO
Pair of Norwegian Folk Art Chairs, circa 1800-1820 A significant and rare matched pair of early 19th-century side chairs from Rogaland/Vestland, Norway. Representing the height of v...
Category

Early 19th Century Norwegian Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine, Wool

Early 20th Century French Folk Art Chair
Located in Chicago, IL
This early 20th-century French Folk Art side chair, hand-carved from pine, embodies a modernist spirit with its playful silhouette and chunky saddle seat. What truly sets it apart is...
Category

Early 20th Century French Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Folk Art Rush Side Chair, Austria 1970's
Located in Oud-Turnhout, VAN
Vintage Austrian Folk Art Side Chair with Rush Seat. Made in Austria, 1970's. Orange painted beech frame with rush woven seat. The chair has nice spi...
Category

1970s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Rush, Beech

Swedish 19th Century Folk Art Side Chairs in Patinated Pinewood
Located in Odense, DK
A pair of beautifully patinated folk art chairs made in Sweden in the 19th century. Made from pinewood with black lacquered seats. Traditionally, these primitive chairs stood in the ...
Category

19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Pine

Original Red Painted Kubbestol Log Chair, Sweden circa 1860-80
Located in Round Top, TX
Antique carved and painted kubbestol, a traditional Scandinavian chair crafted from a single log. The lovely original red paint is accented by a carved and black painted band. Much o...
Category

Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Wood, Paint

Antique Small Ladder Back Green Primitive Rustic Chair with Deer Hide Seat
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Antique small ladder back green primitive rustic chair with deer hide seat. Item features deer hide leather seat, attractive warm patina, stretcher base, sol...
Category

19th Century Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Leather, Wood

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Mid-19th Century French Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

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19thc Pair Swiss Elm Hall Chairs
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Circa 1890 19thC Pair Swiss Elm Hall Chairs With pierced backs and cleated seats. Measures: W 35 x D 45 x H 93cm. Seat height 44.  
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A Swiss Alpine Folk Art Escabelle Chair
A Swiss Alpine Folk Art Escabelle Chair
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H 33.08 in W 16.93 in D 17.72 in
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1930s Italy Art Nouveau Brass Console, wall Mirror & side Chairs Gio Ponti Style
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19th Century Anglo-Indian Slipper Chair
Located in Houston, TX
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19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Upholstery, Wood

19th Century Anglo-Indian Slipper Chair
19th Century Anglo-Indian Slipper Chair
$3,400
H 32 in W 25.5 in D 24 in
1930s Hickory Chair Empire Klismos Mahogany and Upholstered Seat Side Chairs
Located in Germantown, MD
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Swedish Folk Art 'Spinning-Chair' late 19th century
Located in Farsta, SE
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Swedish Folk Art 'Spinning-Chair' late 19th century
Swedish Folk Art 'Spinning-Chair' late 19th century
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H 29.53 in W 22.05 in D 11.42 in
Previously Available Items
Pair of Early 20th Century Hand-Carved Log Stools “Kubbestol” with Turkeys
Located in Round Top, TX
Pair of early 20th-century hand-carved log stools, or “kubbestol,” each featuring carved and painted turkeys. Created from single logs with removable seats and hollow interiors. Rest...
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Early 20th Century Folk Art Side Chairs

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Wood

Early 19th Century Pair Of Folk Art Swiss Escabelle Chairs
Located in Bedfordshire, GB
A Stunning And Extremely Charming Early 19th Century Pair Of Fruitwood Folk Art, Swiss Escabelle Chairs, Or Hall Chairs, Retaining Wonderfully Rich Col...
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Early 19th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

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Fruitwood

Pair of high back Safari Hall chairs, 1960s
Located in Leuven, Vlaams Gewest
Pair of rare ladder high back safari hall chairs or side chairs. These chairs have an oversized backrest, low seat, ebonized wooden frame and deer skin seat. Beautiful, sculptural ethnic chairs...
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1960s Congolese Vintage Folk Art Side Chairs

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Hide, Wood

Pair of high back Safari Hall chairs, 1960s
Pair of high back Safari Hall chairs, 1960s
H 57.09 in W 17.72 in D 17.72 in
Vintage Folk Art Equipale Leather Ostrich Armchair Mexico 1970s
Located in Sakskøbing, DK
This unique Folk Art leather chair, crafted by Equipale in Mexico during the 1970s, features an exotic woven wooden frame covered in luxurious ostrich leather. Completely handmade, i...
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1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Side Chairs

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Ostrich Leather, Cedar

Hand Crafted Funky Art Chair in the Style of Carlo Bugatti
Located in Oakland, CA
Hand crafted art chair found in a small town in Northern California. Created out of found materials embellished onto the chair, that being an eccentric mix of reclaimed wood, plastic...
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1980s American Vintage Folk Art Side Chairs

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Metal

Northern California One Off Funky Art Chair
Located in Oakland, CA
Hand crafted art chair found in a small town in Northern California created out a blend of various found materials embellished onto the chair, that being, metal, glass, mixed woods, ...
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1980s American Vintage Folk Art Side Chairs

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Metal

Pair of Original Green Painted Kubbestol Chairs, Sweden circa 1880
Located in Round Top, TX
A "kubbestol" is a traditional Scandinavian chair made from a single log. As they are collector items, to find a pair with original paint is a special find. Notice the deep green and...
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Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Side Chairs

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Wood, Paint

Hand Carved Mexican Modern Side Dining Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hand carved Mexican modern side chair. The chair features a mahogany frame with a carved detailing along the front of the backrest. Perfect as an a...
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Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Side Chairs

Materials

Mahogany

Hand Carved Mexican Modern Side Dining Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hand carved Mexican modern side chair. The chair features a mahogany frame with a carved detailing along the front of the backrest. Perfect as an a...
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Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Side Chairs

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Mahogany

Hand Carved Mexican Modern Side Dining Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hand carved Mexican modern side chair. The chair features a mahogany frame with a carved detailing along the front of the backrest. Perfect as an a...
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Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Side Chairs

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Mahogany

Hand Carved Mexican Modern Side Dining Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Hand carved Mexican modern side chair. The chair features a mahogany frame with a carved detailing along the front of the backrest. Perfect as an a...
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Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Side Chairs

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Mahogany

Vintage Folk Art Equipale Ostrich Chair Leather Mexico 1970s
Located in Sakskøbing, DK
An unique Folk Art leather chair from Equipale Mexico, 1970s. Exotic woven wooden frame covered with ostrich leather. These chairs are still being made new. This is a vintage one. ...
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1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Side Chairs

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Ostrich Leather, Cedar

Folk Art side chairs for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique Folk Art side chairs for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage side chairs created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, pine and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art side chairs made in a specific country, there are Europe, Scandinavia, and Sweden pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original side chairs, popular names associated with this style include Thomas Chippendale, and Luteca Furniture. 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 side chairs differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $450 and tops out at $4,800 while the average work can sell for $2,157.

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