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 English Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Marble, Copper
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin, Steel
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Plaster, Paint
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Olive
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Chrome
Mid-20th Century Finnish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition, Metal
1940s Moldovan Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1930s North American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Copper, Tin
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Paint
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1930s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paper
Mid-20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1950s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mohair
Mid-20th Century Dutch Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1930s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Concrete
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1940s Egyptian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Textile, Lucite, Beads
1950s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century African Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
1960s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Burlap, Pine
1940s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1960s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Nickel
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century Dutch Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Mid-20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Furniture
Silk, Bamboo
1960s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Brass