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.
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Softwood, Spruce
Mid-20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Furniture
Textile, Beads
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1830s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1990s American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate
Mid-19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Art Glass
Early 20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Leather
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Silk
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Pine
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
20th Century Thai Folk Art Furniture
Giltwood
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood
Mid-20th Century Greenlandic Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone
Early 20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Agate, Sterling Silver
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Brass
1950s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Pine
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Padouk
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper, Iron
Mid-20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Rope, Wood, Oak
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bentwood
Late 20th Century Tanzanian Folk Art Furniture
Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1890s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paint
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 20th Century Congolese Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Brass, Copper
Early 20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Fir
1890s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
1970s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1780s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper