Folk Art Seating
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
Rustic Wooden Bench, Unknown, Brazilian Vernacular Design
Located in New York, NY
Bench in rustic wood, characteristic of popular design in the interior of Brazil
Category
20th Century Brazilian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Iron
Original Painted Bench with Storage, Sweden circa 1820-40
Located in Round Top, TX
This original hand painted Swedish pine bench displays a brick red/brown faux wood background and simple folk art motif along the front panel and back.
The bench seat opens/is remove...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Linen, Pine, Paint
Original Folk Art Painted Bench with Storage, Hungary circa 1900's
Located in Round Top, TX
Original hand painted folk art pine bench displays traditional brown faux wood background and colorful floral motif.
Back has 3 decorative spindles, slightly curved armrests and hing...
Category
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine, Paint
Original Hand Painted Pine Bench with Storage, Hungary circa 1920-40
Located in Round Top, TX
Original hand painted folk art pine bench displays traditional brown faux wood background and colorful floral motif.
Back has 3 decorative spindles, slightly curved armrests and hing...
Category
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine, Paint
Folk Art Carved Eagle Chairs
Located in Hanover, MA
Very unusual pair of chairs, hand carved, possibly using a chainsaw as well as other blades, of a fierce looking eagle with unfurled wings, its talons on the feet of a man on all fou...
Category
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Seating
Materials
Walnut
1970's Folk Art Wooden Cat Stool Side Table
Located in London, GB
1970's Folk Art Wooden Cat Stool Side Table
Painted wooden stool/table modelled as a cat.
An interesting quirky addition offering serval functions.
Wear co...
Category
20th Century Folk Art Seating
Materials
Fruitwood, Paint
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 Seating
Materials
Wood, Paint
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...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood, Paint
Fine late 19th Century French Wooden Bench
Located in Mjöhult, SE
fine late 19th century French wooden bench with an great original surface and shape. Ca 1890 France.
Category
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood
Unusual Turn of the Century Folk Art Spool Footstool
Located in Buffalo, NY
Turn or the Century hand made Folk Art spool foot stool with original mohair upholstery.
Category
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Seating
Materials
Mohair, Wood
Original Hand Painted Swedish Bench, Dated 1817
Located in Round Top, TX
Original hand painted pine bench displays a brick red/brown background and simple folk art motif along the front panel.
Hinged bench seat opens to reveal interior storage. Bottom sec...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine, Paint
OPERA: Pair of Contemporary Mexican Midwife Birthing Chairs in Mohair Velvet
Located in colima, MX
Reminiscent of the "Sillas Parteras" or Midwife Birthing Chairs made by Don S. Shoemaker in the 1960s, Ópera reveres the profound and dramatic journey of labor and birth — a prayer o...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Folk Art Seating
Materials
Mohair, Velvet, Oak
Genuine Antique Rare Folk Art Northern Swedish Bench or Sofa
Located in Kramfors, SE
Rare folk art bench or sofa from northern Sweden, unusually well-crafted with decorative panels and sculpted legs. It features carved wooden decorations at the top of the backrest an...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Unusual Northern Swedish Antique Unique Country Folk Art Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Unusual primitive country chair in folk art from Northern Sweden. The chair is a one of a kind piece made by hand in solid pine around 1820 to 1840. Old historic paint which has beco...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Anne-Lise Aas, Stools. A set of three
By Anne-Lise Aas
Located in Stockholm, SE
A fine set of three stools designed by Anne Lise Aas (1925–2020). They are made of oak which stained in a brownish/black color. The seats are have a rope knitting which is original a...
Category
1950s Norwegian Vintage Folk Art Seating
Materials
Oak
Painted Pine Storage Bench or Settle
Located in Baltimore, MD
This massive pine double storage bench has a long straight back rail with an applied crest about five inches high. The back rails and stiles frame two short flat panels, a pattern re...
Category
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Stunning Hand Carved Folk-Art Stool, Grayish Blue, Finland Late 1800s
Located in Helsinki, FI
A beautiful Finnish hand carved folk stool from the late 1800s. The stool retains the original blue colour commonly used in furniture back in the period. The stool seems to have had ...
Category
Late 19th Century Finnish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Painted Pine Storage Bench or Settle
Located in Baltimore, MD
This lovely storage bench has a long flat back rail scalloped at the corners where it meets the scrolled top of the high arm each end. Two bold stiles divide the back into three comp...
Category
Early 20th Century European Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Painted Pine Storage Bench or Settle
Located in Baltimore, MD
The rails and stiles of the back of this handsome storage bench create three frames, each with a trefoil (three leaf) stylized plant carving in the center. Similarly, one such carvin...
Category
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Original Painted Folk Art Bench With Carved Birds, Hungary dated 1933
Located in Round Top, TX
Original hand painted folk art pine bench displays exceptional traditional brown faux wood background and colorful green and red floral displays within painted panels along the front...
Category
Mid-20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine, Paint
Original Painted Pine Bench With Storage, Hungary dated 1910
Located in Round Top, TX
Original hand painted folk art pine bench displays traditional brown faux wood background and colorful floral displays within painted panels in back and front.
Hinged bench seat open...
Category
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine, Paint
Pine Storage Bench or Settle in Original Decorative Paint
Located in Baltimore, MD
What an amazing bench! In line and form it is very much like other Central European storage benches we offer, albeit a very fine example. It has straight back rails enclosing three flat panels. The legs are straight and the integral arms are only slightly scrolled and enclose another flat panel. The seat lifts to reveal a deep storage well, divided into two compartments.
But the original finish is outstanding. The background is a deep oxblood on which black stripes are applied in such a pattern as to present as a stylized grain paint. Vertical here and horizontal there, laid straight or diagonally, or in arches.
The five rectangular panels have the tromp l’oeil effect of being raised panels. These and the diamonds and “arrow heads” appear to be faux grain painted as a maple or some similar species. The overall effect is stunning and rare.
This dealer purchased a Hungarian chest...
Category
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Handwoven Tule Lounge Chair Made in Mexico from LUTECA
Located in New York, NY
From a craft object to relevant design, these special pieces that are made in Mexico, were created to add warmth and texture to your interior. Intended for indoor or covered outdoor use, they are a reminder of the incredible workmanship and know-how passed down through generations and generations, dating back as far as the Mayans. As well as fostering and adapting historical values and crafts, some of which are now almost extinct, the project is a cultural endeavor that combines the highest quality weaving skills of local master craftsmen with the preservation of endangered manufacturing technique that supports an entire village eco-system. In stock. Ships from Mexico...
Category
2010s Mexican Folk Art Seating
Materials
Seagrass
Pair of Small Early Painted Folk Art Chairs or Side Tables
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Set of Two Smaller Folk Art Chairs or Side Tables With Original Paint and Patina.
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood
Original Painted Brown Bench With Storage, Hungary Circa 1900's
Located in Round Top, TX
Original hand painted folk art pine bench displays traditional brown faux wood background and colorful floral motif along back.
Hinged bench seat opens to reveal interior divided sto...
Category
20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood, Paint
Small Antique Swedish Folk Art Pine Bench
Located in Kramfors, SE
Small antique Swedish bench in folk art. The frame is made by hand in solid Swedish pine. The original light blue paint has genuine distress an...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Original Hand Painted Small Bench With High Back, Hungary circa 1860-80
Located in Round Top, TX
This delightful high back bench is a rare find due to it's unique small size and elaborate original hand-painted finish.
Please enlarge photos to appreciate the many details of the p...
Category
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood, Paint
Swedish wabi sabi style folk art chair
Located in Valby, 84
Rare Swedish folk art chair in solid dark stained wood made by a very talented craftsman in the middle of the 19th century in Sweden.
The chair has some beautiful details like the v...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood
19th Century Swedish Folk Art Stool
Located in Mjöhult, SE
Charming 19th century Swedish folk art stool in Its original condition with great patina, ca 1810 Sweden.
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Set of Four 19th Century Primitive Swedish Folk Art Pine Chairs
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Rustic set of four 19th century primitive country Swedish hand-carved folk art farmhouse chairs crafted from pine. The set features a well-worn and weathered patina with a gracefully...
Category
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Antique Swedish Folk Art Genuine Original Condition Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique folk art chair from Sweden made during the mid 1800s. The chair is a classic folk art chair with a model that has its roots in the renaissance period. Made in pine with the o...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
1970’s Indian Tripod Female and Male Chairs
Located in Palm Springs, CA
Pair of Indian hand carved and painted wood male and female chairs.
This were purchased in India in the 1970’s.
In beautiful original condition...
Category
1970s Indian Vintage Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood
Antique Swedish Folk Art Organic "Kubbstol" or "Stockstol"
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique Swedish ”Kubbstol” or ”Stockstol” as they are also known. The chair is a primitive furniture made by hand from one large, solid log of wood. T...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Norwegian folk art chair 1850’s
Located in Valby, 84
Decorative Rare Norwegian folk art chair with the original red and green painted wood and the original sea grass webbing from the 1850’s.
The chair...
Category
1850s Norwegian Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Seagrass, Wood
Antique Swedish Rustic Solid Pine Bench
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique primitive Swedish bench made in folk art. The bench is made by hand in solid pine around the year 1800 and has a rustic and authentically antique appearance...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Antique Swedish Rustic Folk Art Stool
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique Swedish rustic stool in folk art made with three legs. The stool has a round seat and is in its untouched original condition. The paint has become distressed with time and the resulting patina is full of rustic charm and character. This stool is from northern Sweden and made around the 1820s. Older stools...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Antique English 19th Century Vernacular Cricket Table Side Table Stool
Located in London, GB
Antique English 19th century Vernacular cricket table side table stool
Beautiful sculptural piece. Good colour and patina.
In very good condition commensurate of age.
Category
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Birch
Unusual Swedish Antique Decorated Folk Art Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Unusual Swedish antique chair from Hälsingland made around the late 1700s to the turn of the century 1700 to 1800. The chair is folk art and thi...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Antique Swedish Original Folk Art Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique folk art chair from Sweden made around 1860 in painted pine. The chair has the original paint with a time-worn distressed patina. The chair had a very particular function in ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Pair of Hand Made Studio Craft Bar Stools by Bill Woodhead, D. 1985
Located in Peabody, MA
A pair of handmade studio craft bar stools in maple by the Boston area woodworker Bill Woodhead, dated 1985.
Category
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Seating
Materials
Maple
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 Seating
Materials
Leather, Wood
Swedish Primitive Kubbstol Chair in Original Paint with Provenance, 18th c.
Located in Wichita, KS
This “kubbstol” is a traditional Scandinavian chair made from a hollowed trunk of wood. This beautiful folk art piece has provenance. The back is inscrib...
Category
18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood, Paint
Antique Set 4 Spanish Polychrome Dining Chairs Giltwood Green Painted Folk Art
Located in Sherborne, Dorset
A stunning set of four Andalusian ladderback dining chairs in original Polychrome dark green and old gold with rush seats – a stunning combination of colours with the most appealing ...
Category
Early 20th Century Spanish Folk Art Seating
Materials
Rush, Paint, Giltwood, Wood
Swedish Rustic Folk Art Primitive Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Rustic folk art chair from Northern Sweden. The chair is unique and hand-made into a primitive example of an antique chair. The pine has never been pa...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Rare Long Swedish Folk Art Pine Bench
Located in Kramfors, SE
Northern Swedish rare folk art bench made during the mid 1800s. The bench is hand-crafted in Sweden from pine and has been made carefully with attention to detail. The seat is made f...
Category
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
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 Seating
Materials
Pine
Antique Swedish Woven Rattan Basket Chair
Located in Kramfors, SE
Antique woven basket chair from Sweden made around the late 1800s. The chair is an unusual find with an eclectic collection of different weaving s...
Category
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Rattan
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 Seating
Materials
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Folk Art Bench
Located in Mjöhult, SE
Late 18th century Swedish Folk Art bench in solid raw pine. Ca 1790.
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Woven Grounds Chair, Prototype, Award Winning by Vanessa Lee Jackson/ Sculpture
By Oliver Lee Jackson
Located in Buffalo, NY
Woven Grounds Chair, prototype. Award winning by Vanessa Lee Jackson/ sculpture.
narrate my version of beauty through traditional practices of craft. I a...
Category
2010s Canadian Folk Art Seating
Materials
Iron
Rustic Bench, circa 1920, France
Located in Girona, Spain
Rustic bench
Made with chestnut structure and hand woven rattan cord seating.
Solid, sturdy and comfortable
Circa 1920, France
Very good vintage condition.
Category
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Seating
Materials
Chestnut, Cord
Antique Beechwood Children's Chair
Located in Budapest, HU
Antique children's highchair with an abacus and potty chair functions.
Made of steamed beechwood, with leather cover.
Manufactured around 1910.
Category
1910s Vintage Folk Art Seating
Materials
Leather, Beech
18th Century Swedish Rustic Folk Art Bench
Located in Kramfors, SE
Northern Swedish Folk Art bench from the late 1700s. The bench is Primitive and rustic and has a lot of character, especially given the original distressed paint and authentic patina...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Early 19th Century Northern Swedish Charming Pine Folk Art Stool
Located in Kramfors, SE
Northern Swedish charming folk art stool from the early 19th century. The stool is made in pine and it has the original worn patina of time. The model and construction is primitive b...
Category
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Indoor-Outdoor Modern River Rock Masonry Tuffet Stool by Lland
By Lland
Located in Brooklyn, NY
The Masonry Tuffet stool is made from a common injection molded plastic child's stool, reimagined by cladding it in stone masonry. This piece represents the artist's personal appreciation for the physical characteristics, permanence, and labor-intensive construction of masonry.
The Masonry Tuffet Stool is made to order. Due to the means and methods of laying masonry and the natural variations in stone, no two items are exactly the same, but final piece will use the same white river rock. The dimensions of each piece vary within reason, therefore weight and size are approximate. Please specify felt or rubber feet.
Fabricated in 2019 by Rachel Shillander...
Category
2010s American Folk Art Seating
Materials
Stone
Swedish 19th Century Wooden Child's High Chair
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Swedish early 19th century wooden child's high chair.
Category
Early 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood
19th Century Handmade English Chess Carved Chair
Located in Los Angeles, CA
This amazing handmade English chess chair is hand carved. The chair seat is hand webbing made from hemp. The hand carved figurines and hand carved signatu...
Category
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Wood, Hemp
Antique Folk Art Swedish Rustic Kubbstol
Located in Kramfors, SE
Folk Art rustic Kubbstol from northern Sweden. A Kubbstol is a chair made of a single piece of wood that's been hewn out to form the seat, back and frame. It's a primitive constructi...
Category
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Seating
Materials
Pine
Folk Art seating for sale on 1stDibs.
Find a broad range of unique folk art seating 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 seating created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include seating, folk art, tables and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, softwood and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art seating 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 seating, popular names associated with this style include Alix Coco, Berber Tribes of Morocco, Bobby Falwell, and Thomas Chippendale. 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 seating differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $251 and tops out at $89,500 while the average work can sell for $2,400.
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