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.
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Uzbek Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1870s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta
19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Copper
1920s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint, Hardwood
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Maple
Mid-19th Century Unknown Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century North American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Brazilian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silver
1910s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1970s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Stone
Late 20th Century Tajikistani Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Silk
Early 1800s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
Early 20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Straw
1950s Turkish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1930s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Other
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1980s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta, Clay, Pottery
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Cork
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood
1970s Nicaraguan Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Wire
20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Dutch Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Linen
Early 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
20th Century Spanish Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Plywood, Scrap Wood
Mid-20th Century Portuguese Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta
Early 1900s North American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood