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 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1960s Greenlandic Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone
19th Century British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Malian Folk Art Furniture
Shell, Wood
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Stone, Limestone, Soapstone
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paper
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1810s Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Silver
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
1830s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Oak, Paper
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Antler, Wood
20th Century Spanish Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Balkan Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1890s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Philippine Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1890s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch, Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Art Glass
1880s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Silk
20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Copper
1940s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Sicilian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone, Wrought Iron
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Beech
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch, Pine
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1850s Romanian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Beech
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
18th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
1870s Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Antler, Wood
Early 20th Century African Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine