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.
1960s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
15th Century and Earlier Japanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery, Stoneware
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Palmwood
Early 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Mahogany, Mother-of-Pearl
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1860s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fabric, Wool
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1870s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
2010s Italian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paint, Delft, Faience
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
1980s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Clay
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Concrete
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery
1950s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Early 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Earthenware
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
19th Century Moroccan Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Goat Hair
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 1900s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paint, Linen, Hemp, Paper, Feathers
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Mercury Glass
1820s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Plastic
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
19th Century Pakistani Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 17th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Brass
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Aluminum
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint