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, Paint
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Fabric, Jute
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Zinc
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Composition, Metal, Brass
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
Early 20th Century Scandinavian Folk Art Furniture
Steel
Early 20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1910s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s Italian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Shell, Glass, Wood
1920s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic
Early 20th Century Balinese Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Paint
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
Early 20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Majolica
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Art Glass
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Brass
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Paper
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1920s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Bentwood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1920s European Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Softwood
1910s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Giltwood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Early 1900s Antique Folk Art Furniture
Paint
1920s Indian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century British Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Zinc
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1920s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Early 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Ash