Native American Furniture
Native American broadly describes any Indigenous people in North America and encompasses hundreds of tribes and groups, all with distinct cultures. Native American–style furniture and decor likewise varies widely, from pieces created by Indigenous people to those appropriated by non-native designers.
Indigenous furniture’s rich heritage includes the bentwood boxes of the Northwest Coast carved from cedar for storing household or ceremonial objects. Generations of Native American people have made baskets for holding household items, with those in the Northeast using sweetgrass and those in the Southeast using pine needles and wicker. Artisans in the Plateau region wove watertight pieces like cradles from plant materials. Although these objects were intricately made, they were usually utilitarian rather than decorative.
The colonization of North America and the removal of Indigenous people from their lands led to the suppression of these practices. Many styles that used Native American motifs — such as Southwestern style, which was heavily influenced by the geometric patterns of Navajo textiles — have historically not involved Indigenous creators and, instead, have taken their traditions without their tribal context.
When decorating a home with Native American–style furniture, it is important to do so respectfully, by understanding the origins of motifs and objects and examining who profits from their sale. There are now Indigenous-led companies, such as Cherokee designer Cray Bauxmont-Flynn’s Amatoya and Totem House Design, promoting Indigenous work in furniture and home decor. Supporting Indigenous artists and artisans is essential to confronting the still pervasive issue of cultural appropriation in design.
Find a collection of Native American living room furniture, folk art, rugs and carpets, decorative objects and other items on 1stDibs.
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Stone
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Stone
16th Century American Antique Native American Furniture
Bone, Driftwood
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Pottery
1650s American Antique Native American Furniture
Wood
15th Century and Earlier Mexican Antique Native American Furniture
Terracotta
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Stone
1920s Tibetan Vintage Native American Furniture
Shell
Early 20th Century Greek Native American Furniture
Belgian Black Marble
Late 19th Century French Antique Native American Furniture
Terracotta
Late 20th Century Canadian Native American Furniture
Antler
Late 19th Century American Antique Native American Furniture
Beads, Hide
Mid-20th Century Canadian Native American Furniture
Soapstone
1940s American Vintage Native American Furniture
Wood
1970s Spanish Vintage Native American Furniture
Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century American Native American Furniture
Multi-gemstone, Silver
Late 20th Century American Native American Furniture
Clay
Mid-20th Century Canadian Native American Furniture
Soapstone
20th Century Unknown Native American Furniture
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Stone
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Stone
1780s American Antique Native American Furniture
Ash, Maple
15th Century and Earlier Guatemalan Antique Native American Furniture
Stucco
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Earthenware
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Earthenware
1770s American Antique Native American Furniture
Burl
15th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Ceramic
18th Century and Earlier American Antique Native American Furniture
Stone
16th Century American Antique Native American Furniture
Silk, Wool