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 Chinese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Brass
21st Century and Contemporary Brazilian Folk Art Furniture
Sheet Metal
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Burlap, Pine
1940s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Glass
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1950s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Copper
Early 1900s Pakistani Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Felt, Blown Glass
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1960s Spanish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
20th Century Malian Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Clay
17th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Birch
1940s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1890s Unknown Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1870s Scottish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Brass
20th Century African Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1940s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fabric, Wood
1910s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century South Asian Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Mid-20th Century Haitian Folk Art Furniture
Paint
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Aluminum, Steel, Iron
20th Century Chinese Folk Art Furniture
Horn
Early 20th Century Israeli Folk Art Furniture
Silver
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Cotton, Hide, Fur
Mid-20th Century Danish Folk Art Furniture
Stoneware
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Burlap, Pine
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Norwegian Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Danish Folk Art Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Mohair, Velvet, Oak