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 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Velvet, Plaster
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Silk
20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Glass
1950s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Early 1900s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Furniture
Textile, Beads, Sequins
20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Mirror
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Oak
1970s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
1930s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
1970s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Composition, Metal, Brass
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Oak
20th Century Japanese Folk Art Furniture
Stoneware, Pottery
20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mercury Glass
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Driftwood
Early 20th Century Scandinavian Folk Art Furniture
Steel
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Fabric
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Paint
Early 20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Furniture
Fabric, Wood
Early 20th Century Thai Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pewter
Mid-20th Century Ethiopian Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Mid-20th Century Ecuadorean Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Olive
Mid-20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Straw
Mid-20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mercury Glass
20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Copper
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Ghanaian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1940s Unknown Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 1900s French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Composition
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1920s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather
Late 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Furniture
Silk
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Fur, Fabric
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Metal