Folk Art Tapestries
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 Ivorian Folk Art Tapestries
Linen
Mid-20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Fruitwood
20th Century Southeast Asian Folk Art Tapestries
Fabric
1960s American Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Raffia, Driftwood
Late 20th Century Mexican Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
Mid-20th Century Folk Art Tapestries
Fabric, Wood
1990s Dutch Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Burlap, Pine
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Burlap, Pine
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Burlap, Pine
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Burlap, Pine
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Burlap, Pine
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Tapestries
Pine, Wool, Burlap
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Burlap, Pine
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Burlap, Pine
20th Century Panamanian Folk Art Tapestries
Fabric
Mid-20th Century Congolese Folk Art Tapestries
Raffia, Cotton
1950s Peruvian Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Fabric, Acrylic
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
20th Century Panamanian Folk Art Tapestries
Fabric, Glass, Wood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
1960s Argentine Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Acrylic
1960s Turkmen Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Silk, Cotton
20th Century American Folk Art Tapestries
Metal
1990s Turkmen Folk Art Tapestries
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Ivorian Folk Art Tapestries
Korhogo Cloth
20th Century English Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
1940s Persian Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
Late 20th Century American Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
1970s American Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Cotton, Wood, Driftwood
Mid-20th Century French Folk Art Tapestries
Fabric, Tapestry
1980s Spanish Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Cord
19th Century Chinese Antique Folk Art Tapestries
Silk, Bamboo
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Tapestries
Cotton, Linen
Early 20th Century Congolese Folk Art Tapestries
Raffia
1960s Indonesian Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Cotton
1980s Spanish Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Cord
Late 20th Century Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
2010s Dutch Folk Art Tapestries
Rope
20th Century British Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
Mid-20th Century Finnish Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
Early 20th Century Chinese Folk Art Tapestries
Cotton, Silk
Early 20th Century Japanese Folk Art Tapestries
Cotton
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Tapestries
Wool, Cotton
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Tapestries
Fabric, Wool
20th Century South American Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
1960s Ecuadorean Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Brass
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Linen, Thread
Mid-20th Century Japanese Folk Art Tapestries
Cotton
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Tapestries
Wool
1920s Central Asian Vintage Folk Art Tapestries
Wool