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.
1950s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Paint, Paper
1960s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather
Late 19th Century Bulgarian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Silk
Late 19th Century Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1910s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Fabric
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Horn, Wool, Wood
1890s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Furniture
Cypress
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ostrich Leather, Cedar
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Copper, Iron
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Velvet, Wood
Early 20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1970s European Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Textile, Upholstery, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Dutch Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Porcelain
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1830s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Creamware
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1940s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Late 20th Century Vietnamese Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo
Late 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
Early 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Pottery, Stoneware
1840s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1870s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Iron
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Haitian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Ebony
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Iron
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Acrylic, Wood
20th Century British Folk Art Furniture
Nickel
Late 19th Century Bajan Antique Folk Art Furniture
Shell, Mahogany
Mid-20th Century Mauritanian Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Copper, Pewter
1870s Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
Early 20th Century British Folk Art Furniture
Glass
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1880s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pewter
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Softwood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Turkish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Late 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Bone, Wood
Late 19th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Softwood, Spruce
20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
1960s Peruvian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Brass, Copper