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.
1950s Haitian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Masonite, Paint, Wood
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
17th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Faux Leather
Mid-20th Century Burmese Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo, Lacquer
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1850s French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch, Pine
1970s Central Asian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Zinc
1940s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Burl
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1960s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Congolese Folk Art Furniture
Softwood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1970s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1790s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
1950s English Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Glass
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-18th Century European Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch, Pine
20th Century Haitian Folk Art Furniture
Paint
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s Persian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 2000s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta, Clay, Pottery
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery, Stoneware
1960s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Palmwood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Mahogany, Mother-of-Pearl
1860s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fabric, Wool
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1980s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine