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.
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1790s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century Finnish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Oak, Paint
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1890s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wood
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Olive
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Gold, Brass, Metallic Thread
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Seagrass
1850s Romanian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Beech
20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Early 20th Century Tibetan Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Wool
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1930s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Southeast Asian Folk Art Furniture
Cut Glass, Wood, Giltwood, Lacquer
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1830s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Hardwood, Boxwood, Fruitwood
19th Century Korean Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk, Wood, Paint
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Textile, Wood, Paper
Late 19th Century Japanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Cypress
Early 1900s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin, Steel
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Brass
19th Century Turkish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk
1950s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
19th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Tin
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Epoxy Resin, Maple
Mid-20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Teak
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1940s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
1870s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Leather
Late 18th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Walnut
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1970s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wool, Birch
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Tin
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
Early 1800s Welsh Antique Folk Art Furniture
Elm