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-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Softwood
Late 19th Century North American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Early 2000s Australian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
17th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron, Wrought Iron
1870s Turkish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century Hungarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1930s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 2000s American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk
1780s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fruitwood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Cork
Early 20th Century Burmese Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood
Late 20th Century Beninese Folk Art Furniture
Ebony
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Late 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wire
19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
1870s Moroccan Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Spruce
20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Sheet Metal
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Raffia, Driftwood
Late 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Rosewood, Oak
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wood, Feathers
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Goat Hair
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Stoneware
20th Century North American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1890s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Clay
1910s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silver
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
15th Century and Earlier Javanese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
18th Century European Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Beads
1980s Guatemalan Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
19th Century Uzbek Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk
Early 2000s Australian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
Mid-20th Century European Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass
20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Furniture
Leather
1830s Scottish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Iron, Nickel