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 Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Stoneware
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1910s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Belgian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1960s Peruvian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Copper
Early 18th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fir
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Olive
18th Century Russian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
18th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1840s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Birch
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1890s Slovak Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Mercury Glass
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine
20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Softwood, Spruce
1970s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Elm
1870s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone
Early 20th Century British Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
2010s Italian Folk Art Furniture
Gold Leaf
1890s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Oak, Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1970s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Glass
1950s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Pine
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate
1990s Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Finnish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Scandinavian Folk Art Furniture
Steel
2010s Italian Folk Art Furniture
Gold Leaf
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1870s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Swiss Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Iron
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Oak
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Porcelain, Cork