Folk Art Wall Decorations
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 19th Century Peruvian Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Balinese Folk Art Wall Decorations
Silk
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Copper
20th Century Haitian Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paint
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1820s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Pine
20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood
20th Century Ukrainian Folk Art Wall Decorations
Canvas
Mid-20th Century Balinese Folk Art Wall Decorations
Silk
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Early 19th Century French Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1830s Scottish Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1950s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Copper, Tin
Late 20th Century Turkish Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wool
Late 19th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paint
1950s Balinese Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Cotton, Paint
Early 1900s European Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Copper
Mid-20th Century Malian Folk Art Wall Decorations
Cotton
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Thai Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1980s American Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood, Paint
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
20th Century Italian Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
20th Century Belgian Folk Art Wall Decorations
Ceramic
1970s Indian Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Fabric, Wood, Paint
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Wall Decorations
Fabric
Early 19th Century Turkish Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Silk
Early 20th Century Uzbek Folk Art Wall Decorations
Silk
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1830s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1830s Scottish Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1840s Scandinavian Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood
Late 18th Century Danish Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
Mid-20th Century Haitian Folk Art Wall Decorations
Cane, Acrylic, Wood
20th Century Mexican Folk Art Wall Decorations
Canvas, Paint
Late 19th Century Turkish Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Silk
Mid-18th Century Austrian Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Other
1990s American Folk Art Wall Decorations
Canvas, Wood, Paint
Early 1900s British Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1950s Balinese Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Cotton, Paint
1930s American Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood, Paint
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Oak, Paper
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Wall Decorations
Silk, Glass, Wood
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
Mid-20th Century Mexican Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paint
1840s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
1930s Mexican Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Tin
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paint
Early 1900s English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Paper
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Wall Decorations
Wood