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 British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Acrylic, Wood
Early 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Cane, Rattan, Pine
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1870s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1890s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1780s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1960s Peruvian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Copper
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
1940s Canadian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Paint, Paper
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Steel
20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Early 20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Spanish Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
18th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bone
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Cork
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paint
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Goat Hair
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Burlap, Pine
1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 2000s American Folk Art Furniture
Steel
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Hardwood
20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Composition
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mercury Glass
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1940s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1890s North American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Paint
1850s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Brass
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1990s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
18th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal