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
Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk, Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Vietnamese Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo
1830s Scottish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Enamel
18th Century Zanzibari Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Mid-18th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fir
1880s Bajan Antique Folk Art Furniture
Shell
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Steel
1940s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1820s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
18th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk, Giltwood, Paint
20th Century Scottish Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 19th Century African Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bronze
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Mirror, Wood
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
20th Century Australian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mercury Glass
1930s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Cedar, Paint
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Stone
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1930s English Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
1990s African Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 18th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Walnut
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
20th Century Sicilian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1880s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Bentwood
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Maple, Walnut
20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Late 19th Century Thai Antique Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
Early 20th Century Tibetan Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Wool
1850s Romanian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Beech
Early 19th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Furniture
Delft
1950s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Antler, Wood
1820s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bone, Walnut
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1890s European Antique Folk Art Furniture
Oak
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood