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.
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1960s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Earthenware
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
2010s British Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Linen, Silk, Natural Fiber
1850s North American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1880s Dutch Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1940s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Granite
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Rattan
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Iron
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
18th Century and Earlier Indian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paint
1960s Israeli Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Acrylic
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
21st Century and Contemporary English Folk Art Furniture
Iron
19th Century European Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Terracotta
19th Century European Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
Late 18th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Steel
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Straw
1940s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Metal
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Copper
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper, Wood
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Giltwood
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Steel
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1930s North African Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Reed
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
20th Century Nepalese Folk Art Furniture
Sandalwood
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1880s Hungarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1780s Italian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fir
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Furniture
Earthenware
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Iron
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ebony
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Oak
20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Acrylic
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
20th Century Portuguese Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta
21st Century and Contemporary African Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Earthenware
Folk Art furniture for sale on 1stDibs.
Read More
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Tramp Art, America’s Most Misunderstood Art Form, Is Trending in Interiors
Designers are beginning to see this enigmatic form of folk art in a whole new light.