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 Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta, Ceramic
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Copper
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Copper
1950s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wicker
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Hungarian Folk Art Furniture
Silk
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Fabric
20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Stone
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1940s European Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Spanish Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1930s French Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plaster
1910s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Early 20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Furniture
Silk
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1950s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Furniture
Cotton
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Copper, Steel
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paper
1970s Haitian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 1900s Balinese Antique Folk Art Furniture
Cotton, Paint
Early 20th Century European Folk Art Furniture
Mirror, Wood
1910s Austrian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Antler, Wood
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Porcelain, Fabric, Wood
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Oak
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal, Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Paint
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Marble, Copper
1940s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
1960s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Bamboo, Wicker, Rattan
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Hardwood
1930s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Soapstone
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Birdseye Maple, Paint
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Tin
Early 20th Century European Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
Late 20th Century Cuban Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Paint
Early 20th Century Swedish Folk Art Furniture
Oak, Paint
1960s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1970s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Plastic
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Stone
1970s Haitian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Steel
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Cotton, Silk
1970s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1970s Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Metal
1950s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Hardwood, Pine
Early 1900s German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pewter
20th Century Italian Folk Art Furniture
Brass
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint