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.
1870s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Iron
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
1970s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wool, Birch
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Porcelain, Cork
1890s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pewter
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Earthenware
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Straw
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1830s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Twig, Birch
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1940s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1890s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Israeli Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather
Early 1900s European Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1880s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Shell
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Porcelain, Fabric
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1980s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Shell, Plastic
1850s Romanian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Beech
Early 19th Century Ukrainian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Nutwood
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Softwood, Spruce
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pewter
1930s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Porcelain
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mohair
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Porcelain, Fabric
1960s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1910s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 18th Century Swiss Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Wood
Early 1900s French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1850s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Oak, Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper