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.
1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1980s Italian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Shell, Plastic
Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Iron
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paper
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Cane, Rattan, Pine
19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
1840s Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather
1990s American Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1960s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Composition
1880s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
18th Century Mexican Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Furniture
Cypress
Mid-20th Century Israeli Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
1890s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Giltwood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Ethiopian Folk Art Furniture
Canvas
1890s Austrian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1890s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1960s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
19th Century Antique Folk Art Furniture
Lead
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 18th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 1900s Pakistani Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1970s Indian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Fabric, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Stoneware
1870s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
1920s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wrought Iron
1880s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Sicilian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wicker, Oak
Late 20th Century Philippine Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Late 19th Century Finnish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1870s English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone, Wrought Iron
Mid-20th Century Malian Folk Art Furniture
Cotton