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.
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Hardwood
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk, Wood, Paint
Late 18th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Walnut
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Vietnamese Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Horn, Wool, Wood
20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Other
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Stone
1940s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mohair
21st Century and Contemporary English Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk
1960s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1990s American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1930s English Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Late 19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
20th Century Sicilian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Textile, Wood, Paper
1870s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Seagrass
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
1890s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Velvet, Wood
20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wood
20th Century Japanese Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Cedar
1880s Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 18th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1820s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bone, Walnut
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Furniture
Clay, Earthenware, Pottery
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Late 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1990s American Folk Art Furniture
Cane, Rattan, Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1930s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 1800s Dutch Antique Folk Art Furniture
Delft
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Steel