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.
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pewter
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Hardwood
1820s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Omani Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Copper
1890s South American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 1900s French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
1830s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Marble
18th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Ukrainian Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Iron
Late 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch, Pine
Early 20th Century Danish Folk Art Furniture
Elm
1970s Indian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Paint
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mercury Glass
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper, Iron
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Oak
1970s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1850s Romanian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Beech
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Philippine Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
18th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plaster, Paint
Early 1900s Italian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Early 2000s Peruvian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Felt
1890s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Iron
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Leather
Mid-19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Teak
1930s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1870s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
1890s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Cotton
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Softwood
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Spanish Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica