Chicago - Folk Art
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Item Ships From: Chicago
Beaded Ndebele Ceremonial Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire.
This colorful example of African beadwork is a ceremonial doll...
Category
Mid-20th Century South African Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Cotton, Wood
Lao Stamped Silver Ingot, c. 1950
Located in Chicago, IL
This silver alloy ingot is cast in the form of an elongated bar, with a slender, rectangular shape and curved ends. Resembling a shallow dish or incense stand, the ingot has a concav...
Category
Mid-20th Century Laotian Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Silver
Metallic Studded Bambara Figure by Brian Stanziale
By Brian Stanziale
Located in Chicago, IL
In an exclusive collaboration with pagoda red, Chicago artist the bms. adds a contemporary twist to our collection of one-of-a-kind African art objects. Guided by its geometric line work, the bms. uses...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary Malian Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Metal
Chinese Bent Handle Fisherman's Basket, circa 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Willow, Bentwood
Bamileke Iron Double Gong, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Like many pieces of traditional African metalwork, this sculptural double bell served multiple purposes within the Bamileke communities of Cameroon. They were status symbols, ceremon...
Category
Early 20th Century Cameroonian Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Iron
Nupe Incised Water Vessel
By Nupe
Located in Chicago, IL
The Nupe people of Nigeria were touted as some of the finest ceramicists in Africa. Everyday objects, like this water vessel, received detailed attention. The vessel's varied texture...
Category
Early 20th Century Nigerian Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Beaded Ndebele Ceremonial Doll
Located in Chicago, IL
A rare imported commodity, glass beads have been a symbol of wealth and importance in south African cultures for centuries, and were exclusively distributed by the region's oba (king). As beads become gradually more accessible throughout the 19th century, they began to displace the organic materials used in traditional art and attire.
This colorful example of African beadwork is a ceremonial doll...
Category
Mid-20th Century South African Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Twine, Cotton, Wood
Large French Stone Bust of Emperor Caracalla, 1940s
Located in Chicago, IL
Imposing and evocative, this large stone bust captures the stoic intensity of Emperor Caracalla, one of ancient Rome's most infamous figures. Created in 1940s France, the sculpture e...
Category
1940s French Neoclassical Revival Vintage Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Stone
Small French Male Stone Bust, 1940s
Located in Chicago, IL
A 1940s French male bust, hand-crafted from solid stone. This quietly impactful piece is rendered with meticulous detail, from the textured curls of his hair to his defined facial fe...
Category
1940s French Neoclassical Revival Vintage Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Stone
Medium French Male Stone Bust, 1940s
Located in Chicago, IL
A 1940s French male bust, hand-crafted from solid stone. This quietly impactful piece is rendered with meticulous detail, from the textured curls of his hair to his defined facial fe...
Category
1940s French Neoclassical Revival Vintage Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Stone
Antique American General Store Revolving Red Cabinet
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique American general store revolving bolt and nut cabinet. Original paint.
Category
Late 19th Century North American Primitive Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Tin
Mounted 19th Century Afo Iron Currency
Located in Chicago, IL
A fantastic 19th century Afo culture wrought iron spade currency piece mounted on custom steel stand. Currency pieces like these were used for large purchases including land or lives...
Category
19th Century Nigerian Tribal Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Iron
Jim Rose Barn House Structure, Welded Steel Sculpture Made with Salvaged Steel
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a welded steel sculpture made by furniture creator Jim Rose. It is sustainable design created from salvaged and recycled steel panels left over from his larger projects. These sculptures reference traditional American Folk Art barn...
Category
2010s American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Steel
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Box
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Pair of Early 20th Century American Eider Duck Decoys
Located in Chicago, IL
A special and whimsical pair of early 20th century American hands-carved wood Eider Duck decoys with black and white painted bodies and eyes.
Category
1920s American Country Vintage Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Turned Ash Wood Bowl
Located in Chicago, IL
This hand-turned ash wood bowl, found in Wisconsin’s Door County, is a celebration of natural form and craftsmanship. Carefully shaped by a local artisan, it retains its organic edge...
Category
21st Century and Contemporary American Rustic Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Ash
Jim Rose Barn House Structure, Welded Steel Sculpture Made with Salvaged Steel
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a welded steel sculpture made by furniture creator Jim Rose. It is sustainable design created from salvaged and recycled steel panels left over from his larger projects. Thes...
Category
2010s American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Steel
Antique French Double Seater Carousel Rocker Horse
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique French Double Seater Carousel Rocker Horse
Beautiful antique French double seat carousel rocking horse. The horse is carved wood and h...
Category
19th Century French Belle Époque Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Leather, Wood
Wrought Iron Pheasant Weathervane
Located in Chicago, IL
A true piece of American folk art, this hand-wrought iron weathervane captures a pheasant mid-stride, standing proudly atop a patch of grass. Made by an unknown artisan in the 20th c...
Category
20th Century American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wrought Iron
Jim Rose Barn House Structure, Welded Steel Sculpture Made with Salvaged Steel
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
This is a welded steel sculpture made by furniture creator Jim Rose. It is sustainable design created from salvaged and recycled steel panels left over from his larger projects. These sculptures reference traditional American Folk Art barn...
Category
2010s American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Steel
20th Century Italian Wild Boar Hunting Target
Located in Chicago, IL
This 20th-century Italian wild boar shooting target is a bold and rugged piece of history, crafted from half-inch iron to withstand decades of use in the field. Originally designed for target practice, it would have been placed outdoors, challenging marksmen to test their skills against its lifelike silhouette. Its durable construction has weathered the years, leaving behind a patina that adds character and speaks to its authentic past.
Today, this heavy-gauge iron target...
Category
20th Century Italian Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Iron
African Kenyan Bells with 3 Kisi Metal Tally Sticks / Provenance Douglas Dawson
Located in Chicago, IL
African Kenyan bells with 3 Kisi metal tally sticks provenance Douglas Dawson. Came from the Goldberg Family Collection.
Dims are of a single bell.
Category
19th Century African Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Metal
Mounted Early 20th Century Mende Country Cloth
Located in Chicago, IL
A wonderful early 20th century Mende handwoven Country Cloth composed of twelve narrow strips of indigo and cream dyed cotton and arranged to create a checkerboard pattern, and hand ...
Category
Early 20th Century Sierra Leonean Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Cotton
Early 20th Century Oak Splint Basket
Located in Chicago, IL
A wonderful early 20th century hand-woven oak splint gathering basket with a single bent oak handle, a double banded rim, and a lovely wonky shape. Found in Wisconsin.
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Oak
1920’s Felix The Cat Wooden and Leather Toy
Located in Chicago, IL
1920’s Felix The Cat Wooden and Leather Toy
This 1920s Felix the Cat toy is a collectible vintage toy featuring the iconic character Felix the Cat. These t...
Category
Early 20th Century American Arts and Crafts Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Leather, Wood, Paint
Early 20th Century Blue Painted Farmhouse Bench
Located in Chicago, IL
The painted exterior of this provincial farmhouse bench has weathered gradually from years of use to achieve the ultimate rustic finish. Once a vibrant, robin’s egg blue, the milk pa...
Category
Early 20th Century American Rustic Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Pine
Large 19th Century Wooden Mortar
Located in Chicago, IL
A large 19th century Central American wooden mortar with a beautifully hand-hewn texture and a well worn finish. Mortars like these were used to crush grains, spices, herbs, and othe...
Category
19th Century Central American Tribal Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Petite African Redware Vessel
Located in Chicago, IL
This petite hand-formed vessel bears a richly textured surface of worn red clay slip and dark smoke marks. Likely intended for everyday use, the simple bottle-form vessel reflects th...
Category
15th Century and Earlier African Primitive Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Terracotta
20th Century Emberá-Wounaan Basket
Located in Chicago, IL
This extraordinary 20th century Emberá-Wounaan basket is a testament to the remarkable craftsmanship of the indigenous Emberá-Wounaan people of Panama a...
Category
20th Century Panamanian Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Natural Fiber
19th Century French Stone Carver's Hammer and Chisels on Custom Stand
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
19th Century French Primitive Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Iron
Teotihuacan Redware Figure
Located in Chicago, IL
This intriguing redware figure was crafted in 400 A.D. from the ancient Teotihuacan region of Mexico. Earthenware figurines were made in great abundance throughout Teotihuacan's history. After 250 A.D. objects made from clay increased dramatically, serving a wide variety of purposes and functions from religious rituals to burial offerings.
Figurines like this commemorated important people and events within the city of Teotihuacan and other parts of Mesoamerica, portraying individuals of different rank and status such as soldiers, merchants, bureaucrats, and occasionally divinities. This figure is adorned with an elaborate headdress, a thick beaded necklace...
Category
15th Century and Earlier Mexican Pre-Columbian Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Bush Plane Model on Custom Mount
Located in Chicago, IL
A wonderful and charming early 20th century American bush plane model constructed with painted canvas stretched over a wooden skeleton, and mounted on a custom steel mount.
Category
1940s American Folk Art Vintage Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Canvas, Wood
Provincial Chinese Trunk Mortar, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
Late 19th Century Chinese Organic Modern Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Found and Salvaged Steel House Structure on a Reclaimed Steel Plate, Wooden Base
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, a collection of found steel is reworked whi...
Category
2010s American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Metal, Steel
Pair of Trench Art Candlesticks
Located in Chicago, IL
A wonderful and thought provoking pair of early 20th century American Trench Art candlesticks made from the spent brass casings of naval artillery shells.
Category
1940s American Folk Art Vintage Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Brass
Found and Salvaged Steel Structure on a Steel & Wooden Circular Base
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Jim Rose, known primarily for his steel furniture, was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique and interesting items. Here, a collection of spare parts come together ...
Category
2010s American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Metal, Steel
Kirdi Leather Shield on Custom Wall Mount
Located in Chicago, IL
A wonderfully sculptural Kirdi leather shield from Cameroon, with a beautiful geometric pattern that's been 'stamped' into the leather resulting a raise...
Category
20th Century Cameroonian Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Leather
Pair of Tamberma Shields on Stands
Located in Chicago, IL
A pair of wonderfully sculptural early 20th century handwoven wicker shields from the Tamberma people of Togo, mounted on custom steel stands.
Category
Early 20th Century Togolese Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wicker
Antique Gold Leaf Black Sign "Gebhardt Park "
Located in Chicago, IL
Antique gold leaf sign Gebhardt Park. Framed in original wood frame.
Category
Early 1900s North American Folk Art Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Early 20th Century American "Chiropractor" Sign
Located in Chicago, IL
Own a piece of Wisconsin's history with this early 20th century hand-painted sign from an early 20th-century chiropractor's office. The sign, found in a barn in the heart of Wisconsi...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Tongue-in-Cheek Mounted Kuba Cloth Panel
Located in Chicago, IL
A provocative late 20th century Kuba cloth panel with a bold zigzag and diamond pattern woven in black and natural cut pile raffia surrounding a tongu...
Category
Late 20th Century Congolese Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Raffia
20th Century Sleeping Canada Goose Decoy
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
20th Century American Country Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Pair of African Nyamwezi Trough Zithers
Located in Chicago, IL
These wooden sculptures are stringed instruments known as ligombo, a form of elongated trough zither attributed to the Nyamwezi people of Tanzania and greater East Africa. Originally...
Category
20th Century Tanzanian Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Senufo Copper Reeds Currency Bracelet, c. 1850
Located in Chicago, IL
The traditional form of the Senufo currency bracelet is stripped down in this more minimalistic version. Two gracefully upswept bands join to form a ...
Category
Mid-19th Century Nigerian Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Copper
Chinese Courtyard Grain Container, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
This rustic wooden container dates to the early 20th century and was once used to store dry goods or household items in a provincial home in Yunnan province. Hollowed from a single t...
Category
Early 20th Century Chinese Primitive Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
20th Century Blacksmith's Sign on Custom Mount
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
Mid-20th Century American Industrial Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Steel
Early 20th Century Scottish Bagpiper's Bonnet on Stand
Located in Chicago, IL
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.
Category
Early 20th Century Scottish Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wool, Feathers
French 'Two Figures' Oil on Canvas Painting by Pierre Fulcrand, 1960s
By Pierre Fulcrand
Located in Chicago, IL
A captivating study in form and abstraction, this oil on canvas painting by Pierre Fulcrand explores the fluidity and dynamism of human figures. Rendered in a bold palette of deep re...
Category
1960s French Mid-Century Modern Vintage Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Canvas, Wood
Early 20th Century Southern American Folk Art Painting
Located in Chicago, IL
A captivating and intriguing early 20th century Southern American folk art panel, found in Mississippi, depicting a figure with what appears to be African tribal headgear, and wearing a white collared shirt with black suit jacket. The line work and attention to detail is extraordinary and mysterious, with the artist choosing to incorporate a natural knot in the board to form the mouth of the figure, and the left half of the drawing showing shading, but seemingly left unfinished. The frame is not terribly old, and is constructed from splatter-painted boards...
Category
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood, Paint
American Folk Art Baguette
Located in Chicago, IL
Celebrate the whimsical charm of American Folk Art with this hand-carved pine sculpture resembling a baguette, a delightful fusion of creativity and ...
Category
20th Century American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Pine
African Redware Gooseneck Vase
Located in Chicago, IL
Covered in a beautifully worn red clay slip, this hand-formed African vessel has a dramatic silhouette of a squat, ovoid body and a long, narrow neck. Subtly etched crosshatch patter...
Category
15th Century and Earlier African Primitive Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Yao Silver Chain Necklace
Located in Chicago, IL
This finely crafted piece was made high in the mountains above Thailand, Laos and Burma (modern day Myanmar) by an indigenous hill tribe. The Yao people are skilled silversmiths who ...
Category
Mid-20th Century Laotian Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Silver
Bamileke Storage Vessel, c. 1900
Located in Chicago, IL
Like other African everyday ceramics, Bamileke storage pots are revered for their simple forms yet astonishing beauty. Each is hand shaped and fired in the open. They are generally s...
Category
Early 20th Century Cameroonian Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Ceramic
Yoruba Ibeji Twin Figure
By Yoruba People
Located in Chicago, IL
With one of the highest rates of twin births in the world, Yoruba cultures place special social and religious significance on twins, referred to as "emi alagbara" or "powerful spirit...
Category
Mid-20th Century Nigerian Tribal Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Wood
Tibetan Meditation Carpet with Dorje Medallion, c. 1920
Located in Chicago, IL
Beautifully knotted of vegetable-dyed wool, carpets by the nomadic peoples of Tibet, Mongolia, and northern China decorated every aspect of life with bright color and rich symbolism. Unlike those of the Chinese weaving...
Category
Early 20th Century Tibetan Tibetan Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Cotton, Wool
Found and Salvaged Industrial Objects, Metal Sculpture on Base
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
Known for his steel furniture, Jim Rose was an avid collector and scoured salvage yards for unique, interesting items. Here he has paired various repurposed finds together to create...
Category
2010s American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Steel, Metal
19th Century American Burl Wood Horse Hoof Vessel
Located in Chicago, IL
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...
Category
19th Century American Folk Art Antique Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Iron
Jim Rose - Construct No. 03, Salvaged Steel and Aluminum Industrial Objects
By Jim Rose
Located in Chicago, IL
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 washers, nuts, ...
Category
2010s American Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art
Materials
Metal, Steel
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