Chicago - Folk Art

Item Ships From: Chicago

Beaded Ndebele Fertility 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 fertility doll...

Category

20th Century South African Folk Art Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Cotton, Wood

Beaded Ndebele Fertility Doll

$280

Tibetan Saddle Carpet with Floral Medallions, c. 1930

Located in Chicago, IL

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...

Category

Early 20th Century Tibetan Tibetan Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Fabric, Wool

Tibetan Saddle Carpet with Floral Medallions, c. 1930

$3,380

Nigerian Nupe Storage Vessel

Located in Chicago, IL

The Nupe people of Nigeria were known as some of the finest ceramicists in Africa. Everyday objects, like this storage vessel, received detailed attenti...

Category

Early 20th Century Nigerian Primitive Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Terracotta

Nigerian Nupe Storage Vessel

$4,180

Dida Tie-Dyed Ceremonial Kerchief

Located in Chicago, IL

An incredible and rare mid-20th century Dida hand-plated Shibori tie-dyed raffia ceremonial kerchief mounted on a linen stretched board. This kerchief was not woven on a loom, but ra...

Category

Mid-20th Century Ivorian Tribal Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Raffia

Dida Tie-Dyed Ceremonial Kerchief

$1,387 Sale Price

25% Off

"Embrace" Luba Headrest Sculpture

Located in Chicago, IL

The Luba people of Zaire believed that ancestors visited them through dreams. This belief led to elaborately worked headrests, known as "seats of dreams." Such headrests were used to...

Category

Mid-20th Century Congolese Tribal Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Wood

"Embrace" Luba Headrest Sculpture

$2,880

Terracotta Bura Spirit Vessel, c. 1900

Located in Chicago, IL

Sometimes called a "Bura bell" due to its shape, this sculptural terra cotta object was part of the Bura tribe's burial ritual. Buried with its flared mouth facing down, this cylindrical storage...

Category

Early 20th Century Nigerien Tribal Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Terracotta

Terracotta Bura Spirit Vessel, c. 1900

$3,580

"A + L" Car & Jacket by Patrick Fitzgerald

By Patrick Fitzgerald

Located in Chicago, IL

Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald uses his works as a means of resurrecting the idyllic worlds he once found in the Industrial surroundings of his youth. Raised in Grand Rapids...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Paper

"A + L" Car & Jacket by Patrick Fitzgerald

$980 / set

"Drafting Car" by Patrick Fitzgerald

By Patrick Fitzgerald

Located in Chicago, IL

Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald uses his works as a means of resurrecting the idyllic worlds he once found in the Industrial surroundings of his youth. Raised in Grand Rapids, MI, he looks to the raw beauty and inherent potential of his manufacturing hometown as an endless source of creative inspiration. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature versions of soap box cars...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Industrial Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Paper

"Drafting Car" by Patrick Fitzgerald

$580

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

Yao Silver Chain Necklace

$5,850 Sale Price

25% Off

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

1920’s Felix The Cat Wooden and Leather Toy

$2,300

Chinese Turned Wooden Mortar, c. 1900

Located in Chicago, IL

This petite pinewood vessel is an early 20th century mortar once used daily in a provincial kitchen to grind herbs, spices, and condiments. The rustic container was hand-turned to an...

Category

Early 20th Century Chinese Rustic Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Pine

Chinese Turned Wooden Mortar, c. 1900

$368

"Jubilee Car" by Patrick Fitzgerald

By Patrick Fitzgerald

Located in Chicago, IL

Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald uses his works as a means of resurrecting the idyllic worlds he once found in the Industrial surroundings of his youth. Raised in Grand Rapids...

Category

21st Century and Contemporary American Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Wood, Paint, Paper

"Jubilee Car" by Patrick Fitzgerald

$580

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

Antique Gold Leaf Black Sign "Gebhardt Park "

$2,500

1950s Hand-Painted Olympia Beer Advertising Sign

Located in Chicago, IL

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

Category

1950s North American Folk Art Vintage Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Wood

1950s Hand-Painted Olympia Beer Advertising Sign

$3,500

1900s Hand Carved Scotsman Tobacco Store Panel

Located in Chicago, IL

1900s hand carved scotsman tobacco store panel.

Category

Early 1900s British Antique Chicago - Folk Art

Materials

Wood

1900s Hand Carved Scotsman Tobacco Store Panel

$3,500

A Giant Wedding Cake Has Us Looking at Portuguese Tiles in a New Light

At Waddesdon Manor, artist Joana Vasconcelos has installed a three-tiered patisserie inspired by the narrative tile work of her homeland. We take a look at the cake sculpture and how Portuguese tiles have been used in architecture from the 17th century to today.

Why Jules Chéret Was the King of the Modern Poster

The streets of fin-de-siècle Paris were set aglow with colorful poster ads, thanks to the printing techniques invented by Jules Chéret. Now, the Milwaukee Art Museum is celebrating this undersung talent in America's first solo show dedicated his exuberant works.

Why the American Flag Has Had So Many Different Star Patterns

Expert Jeff Bridgman explains the history and meaning behind the twinkling constellations that have graced Old Glory.

Peggy Guggenheim Loved Modernism, but She Also Collected Tribal Art

The iconoclastic style setter displayed African and Oceanic art, as well as works by indigenous peoples of the Americas, alongside pieces by such major modernists as Pablo Picasso and Jackson Pollock.