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 1900s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1870s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wool
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1890s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pewter
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ash
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Mohair, Velvet, Oak
1970s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1960s Norwegian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Wool, Beech
21st Century and Contemporary Asian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
19th Century European Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1910s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Walnut
Late 20th Century Sri Lankan Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Furniture
Paint
1910s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Antler, Wood
Early 20th Century Kuwaiti Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Aluminum
1970s Canadian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Concrete
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Mid-19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood
19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s North American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1950s Balinese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Paint
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Goat Hair
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Velvet, Bentwood
20th Century British Folk Art Furniture
Nickel
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1950s African Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ebony
1830s Chinese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Japanese Folk Art Furniture
Stoneware
Early 20th Century Nigerian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Beads
Mid-20th Century Hong Kong Folk Art Furniture
Plastic, Plaster
19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Furniture
Earthenware
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Wire
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Zinc
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Teak
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Marble
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silver, Brass
Late 19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Burlap, Pine
2010s American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint