Folk Art Furniture
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.
Late 18th Century British Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
21st Century and Contemporary American Folk Art Furniture
Iron
Early 1900s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1890s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
2010s Mexican Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay
Mid-20th Century Kenyan Folk Art Furniture
Hide, Wood
Early 20th Century Indian Folk Art Furniture
Silk, Glass, Wood
Late 18th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Linen
Mid-19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Glass, Wood, Paint, Paper
20th Century Peruvian Folk Art Furniture
Paint
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Wood
Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Oak
1960s German Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Mohair
1930s North African Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Leather, Reed
1910s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wool, Fabric
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Cane, Rattan, Pine
1950s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Cane, Rattan, Pine
20th Century Turkish Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Composition
1840s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
Mid-20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1740s Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Ceramic, Clay, Stoneware
1930s British Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Late 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
1920s Swedish Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Pine
19th Century French Antique Folk Art Furniture
Textile, Wood
Late 20th Century Folk Art Furniture
Wool
1960s Israeli Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Canvas, Acrylic
Late 19th Century Dutch Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine, Paint
Mid-20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Epoxy Resin, Maple
18th Century Italian Antique Folk Art Furniture
Linen, Fruitwood
Early 20th Century English Folk Art Furniture
Stone
20th Century Moroccan Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century African Folk Art Furniture
Wood
20th Century Unknown Folk Art Furniture
Wood, Paint
1960s Hungarian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wire
Mid-20th Century Austrian Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Mid-20th Century Canadian Folk Art Furniture
Softwood
Early 20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paint, Gesso, Pine
1920s Malaysian Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1920s American Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Cane
1960s Czech Vintage Folk Art Furniture
Wood
19th Century Thai Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Late 19th Century American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Walnut, Pine
Early 20th Century Persian Folk Art Furniture
Wool
Early 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pottery
Early 20th Century French Folk Art Furniture
Walnut
Early 20th Century Spanish Folk Art Furniture
Rush, Paint, Giltwood, Wood
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Paper
Early 20th Century German Folk Art Furniture
Metal
Early 19th Century German Antique Folk Art Furniture
Metal
20th Century American Folk Art Furniture
Wood
1780s American Antique Folk Art Furniture
Pine
20th Century Congolese Folk Art Furniture
Terracotta
Early 1900s Mexican Antique Folk Art Furniture
Wood
Early 20th Century Indonesian Folk Art Furniture
Teak