Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
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.
1970s Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wool, Cotton, Foam
20th Century Belgian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
20th Century Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
1930s Italian Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass
1930s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
Early 20th Century British Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass, Copper
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Shell, Wood
16th Century Burmese Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Sandstone
Early 20th Century Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
1950s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Mid-19th Century Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Mid-20th Century Japanese Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Tin
Early 20th Century German Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Antler, Wood
19th Century Danish Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
1930s Mexican Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
1960s Austrian Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Antler, Wood
2010s Peruvian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Alpaca
Early 1900s Japanese Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Ebony
Early 20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wool, Silk, Cotton
1910s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Tin
1980s Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wool
Early 19th Century American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Maple
1920s British Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Pine
1950s German Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
Mid-19th Century French Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Fabric, Wood
Mid-19th Century English Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Stone
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Copper, Iron
1890s American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Metal
1930s British Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Pine
20th Century English Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
20th Century North American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Late 19th Century Indian Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Bronze
1880s British Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Pine
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Cotton
1890s North American Antique Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
1970s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Iron
1940s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Cotton, Satin
Late 20th Century Canadian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Softwood
Late 20th Century Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
Late 20th Century Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Textile
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
1960s Unknown Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wool
21st Century and Contemporary North American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
20th Century Indian Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Fabric
20th Century English Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
1940s French Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Concrete
1950s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Composition, Metal
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Mid-20th Century North American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Oak, Pine
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
1940s American Vintage Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Wood
20th Century English Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
20th Century American Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Paper
Mid-20th Century Unknown Folk Art More Furniture and Collectibles
Brass