Folk Art Furniture
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.
1960s Israeli Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Acrylic
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta
1960s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Early 20th Century Scandinavian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Paint
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone
Early 20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paint, Pine
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Velvet, Plaster
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper, Wood, Glass
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Shell, Polystyrene
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Shell
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass
1910s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Chinese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Jade
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
1870s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Hardwood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Composition
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
1980s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition, Wire
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Copper
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Glass, Shell
Early 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Mercury Glass
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Raffia
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood