Chicago - Folk Art

A 19th-century American rag rug, hand loomed in two panels and finished with bound tan edges. Repeating bands of raspberry, blue, tan, and black run the length of the rug, with thin ...

The horseshoe has always promised good luck. This one promises better stories. This vintage American gray painted horseshoe sign once announced itself with the confidence of a roads...

American folk art has always had a complicated relationship with utility. The best examples were made to work first and impress second, which is precisely why they endure. This early...

Three words, three fish, and not a hint of subtlety. Hand-carved from wood and painted to resemble rainbow trout, the trio reclines inside an oversized wooden frying pan as if awaiti...

Created and used from the late 19th century into the 20th century, Dan passport masks served as personal talismans with spiritual connection and as portable identification symbol rep...

Handled Wooden Bowl West Africa Carved hardwood with metal repair Hand-carved from a single block of dense hardwood, this utilitarian bowl features an integral handle and a deep, op...

This African bronze currency forms an incomplete circle, its open ends leaning toward one another like a conversation paused mid-breath. The su...

This Tuareg leather box is a finely crafted circular container created by a Malian artisan now living and working in the United States. Contemporary in its production yet grounded in...

A 20th century American Folk Art hand-carved and painted wood stop sign mounted on a custom steel stand.

This sculptural African bronze currency piece forms a powerful circular silhouette, crowned by two elongated, crossing points that meet like a ...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique, interesting items. Here he has welded together various metal pieces to...

While shield and spear were central to African combat, this iron sword blade was most likely made to serve as a piece of trade currency. Many pre-colonization African currencies were...

This 20th-century American Folk Art masterpiece is a life-size Canada goose that captures the essence of rural creativity and cultural heritage. Its outstretched wings, crafted from ...

Light masks like these represented the spirit of an ancestor and were used for social control by Ngil, the judiciary association. The facial markings, abstract features and strong, e...

Some signs point the way. Others set the tone. The letters are as straightforward as they come, yet brilliantly conceived. Antique railroad spikes form the backbone of the B and R, ...

This wood bowl from the Tuareg tribe in Mali has a quiet, grounded presence, shaped by hand and time. Its softly rounded form is animated by incised geometric bands that circle the vessel, the repeating lines and crosshatched motifs catching light and shadow as the surface curves inward. The dark, earthen patina suggests long use and careful handling, giving the bowl a sense of history and intimacy. Subtle variations in tone and texture reveal the maker’s touch, where utility and ornament are inseparable. Today, bowls like this are often appreciated as decorative objects rather than everyday wares. They are used as sculptural accents on shelves or tables, as containers for dried botanicals or found objects, or simply displayed on their own to highlight their craftsmanship. In contemporary interiors, they bring warmth, material depth, and a connection to African artisanal traditions, bridging past function with present-day aesthetic appreciation. African Wooden Bowl...

A bold and striking 20th century American blacksmith's sign with an arm swinging a hammer against a block of metal on an anvil, and with sparks flying from the impact. We've had this...

This Late Period to Ptolemaic Period Egyptian carved wood ear, once part of a mummy mask, stands as a poignant testament to ancient Egyptian customs and beliefs. Dating back over 250...

Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, found steel objects are welded together to ...

This mid-to-late 20th-century American copper pig weathervane is full of charm and character, with a strong, graphic silhouette that captures the essence of...

This wooden stool is carved with quiet assurance, its low, circular seat resting on four stout legs shaped by hand rather than rule. The surface bears the soft abrasions of use—subtl...

This Tuareg leather box is a finely crafted circular container created by a Malian artisan now living and working in the United States. Contemporary in its production yet grounded in...

A beautiful 20th century American life-size sleeping Canada Goose decoy with its original paint, a removable head and neck, and glass eyes, on a cu...

circa 1900 Miniature Model of Black Forest Bear Bench. "Black Forest" is a term to describe elaborate, realistic wood carvings from an area in ...

A true piece of American folk sculpture, this early 20th century copper running thoroughbred weathervane carries the spirit of open fields, race tracks, and the restless energy of th...

This large wooden mortar dates to the late 19th century and was originally used for crushing rice, grain, spices and other foodstuffs. Carved from a single tree trunk, the mortar has...

Basket making is an ancient and humble craft, but in the hands of a skilled weaver a simple willow basket can become a truly beautiful work of art. This bent handle basket was made i...

This extraordinary 20th century Emberá-Wounaan basket is a testament to the remarkable craftsmanship of the indigenous Emberá-Wounaan people of Panama a...

A 1960s Italian bird sculpture by Aldo Londi for Bitossi. Hand-crafted in terracotta, the figure is modeled with a gently rounded body and stylized crest, its simplified silhouette c...

A vibrant patchwork of strip-woven fabric, this antique blue kente cloth is a beautiful example of West African weaving tradition. Attributed to Ashanti or Ewe artists of Ghana and t...

Handled Wooden Bowl West Africa, late 19th–or 20th century Carved hardwood Hand-carved from a single block of dense hardwood, this utilitarian bowl features an integral handle and a...

1950s American hand-painted carnival ride panel.

A whimsical and playful early 20th century leopard-form mancala game board carved with the board resting on the leopard's back and with a patina that only a hundred years of use coul...

A pair of wonderfully sculptural early 20th century handwoven wicker shields from the Tamberma people of Togo, mounted on custom steel stands.

This remarkable 19th-century American Folk Art vessel, expertly carved from a natural burl to resemble a horse's hoof, is a quintessential example of Folk Art's imaginative and uncon...

This sculptural metal form is a Mbole currency anklet from the early 20th century. Worn by both men and women, this type of leg ornament (ambi) was worn at the ankle as ceremonial at...

This one-of-a-kind American Folk Art Dalmatian is carved from salvaged wood, assembled with cheerful ingenuity, and painted in classic black spots that refuse to behave. His legs are...

This unusually-shaped carpet is known as a "makden" and was originally used by a nomadic traveler as an artful covering for his horse. Placed between the saddle and the horse, the makden cushioned the rigid saddle and kept the horse warm in cold climates. Most under-saddle carpets...

A special and whimsical pair of early 20th century American hands-carved wood Eider Duck decoys with black and white painted bodies and eyes.

This rare 18th-century Ngelima bronze currency manilla is a stunning artifact, weighing an impressive 20 pounds of solid bronze. Adorned with intricate incised line drawings at its e...

At first glance, it’s disarming. A hand carved oak pear, modest in scale, almost naive in its simplicity. Turn it, and the narrative shifts. Nestled into its reverse is a small carve...

This unusual wooden vessel is an early 20th century milk pot from the Himalayan regions of northern India or Nepal. Textured by an antique patina, the rustic pot is carved from a sin...

A fascinating and truly unique early 20th century American Folk Art box with the most wonderful Greek temple design with eight blue painted Doric columns around the perimeter and wit...

This Tuareg leather box is a finely crafted circular container created by a Malian artisan now living and working in the United States. Contemporary in its production yet grounded in...

A playful yet strong early 20th century Scottish bagpiper's bonnet with a woven wool checkerboard headband and decorated with a large black ostrich feather plume and a white feather hackle, mounted on a turned wood stand.

An incredible and rare set of 19th century French stone carver's wooden mallet and six iron chisels, mounted on a custom steel stand. Found in Roen, Nor...

A stunning and rare 18th century French hand-wrought iron weathervane, from Normandy, with a stylized dragon "flag" the moves according the wind, and with four wrought-iron flowers t...

Stamps, or sellos, such as this one were common during the pre-Columbian period in Mesoamerica and most popular during the Formative Period that spanned the years between 1200-800 B....

Attributed to Swiss painter and sculptor Maurice Perrenoud, L’homme décalque l’homme is a work from the 1960s that unfolds as a meditation on presence and trace, where form appears l...

1922 Pat Sullivan Felix the Cat Articulated Wooden Jointed Toy Figure Early articulated wooden Felix the Cat figure bearing the original “Copyright 1922 by Pat. Sullivan – Pat. Appl...

With its many blades and dramatic form, this impressive throwing knife would have been a status symbol and a form of currency among the Ngombe peoples o...

Beautiful, impressively sized and elaborately carved "Tree of Life" sculpture from Tanzania, Africa. These carvings are created from a single piece of wood and feature "Ujamma" or ...

Full of charm and personality, this mid-20th century American iron bootscrape takes the form of a cheeky rooster—one foot lifted mid-strut, tail feathers slightly ruffled, and a know...

Oversized 1950s hand-painted advertising sign for Olympia Beer.

Structure No. 222 occupies a quietly pivotal place within Jim Rose’s legacy, embodying his ability to extract meaning from the margins of his own making process. Created from found s...

A striking early 20th century Navajo blanket with a bold all-over diamond pattern woven in crimson, white, gray, and black wool.

1920's English "Private Bar" etched glass sign framed in oak frame.

This large ceramic jar is a vintage Chinese wine vessel from the early 20th century, originally used for aging wine and spirits made from rice, bar...

This long, wooden carving is an early 20th century Chinese weaving shuttle, once used by skilled artists in Yunnan province to weave textiles of cotton, hemp and silk upon the loom. Known as a stick shuttle, the rustic tool is simply designed with a slender handle and two prongs at either end to hold yarn or thread. Elevated by a custom steel stand, the antique shuttle...

This large animal sculpture is actually a traditional African slit drum, a percussive instrument commonly carved from a single block of wood. Comprised of a hollow resonance chamber ...