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 Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Hong Kong Folk Art Furniture
Plastic, Plaster
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Olive
Mid-20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Rope, Wood, Oak
1940s Persian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century British Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Mid-20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1930s North American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plywood
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Chrome
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Chinese Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1960s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
1950s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Pine
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Oak
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Masonite, Paint
Mid-20th Century European Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Iron
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wicker, Rattan, Wood
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Stone
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Iron, Sheet Metal
1960s Indonesian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Acrylic
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Enamel
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Cork
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Aluminum, Iron, Tin
1940s Chinese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
1940s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Oak
1940s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1940s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Copper
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1960s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1940s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Glass
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition, Metal
Mid-20th Century Australian Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Cotton
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Paste, Paint, Paper