Skip to main content

Folk Art Furniture

FOLK ART STYLE

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.

6
to
6
6
6
6
52
10
9
2
1
1
6
5
4
1
6
6
6
43
116
25
21
12
Style: Folk Art
Creator: Staffordshire
Staffordshire Pearlware Musicians and Sheep Bocage Group
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery pearlware bocage figure with a musical theme which features a couple seated before a tree, playing musical instruments. Sheep and dogs around them, seated on a ...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pottery

Staffordshire Pearlware 'John Wesley' Bust
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire pottery pearlware bust with a religious theme which features John Wesley, resting on a plinth base. Decorated 'in the round', decoration to front and reverse. Open bott...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pottery

Staffordshire Prattware Long Case Clock Model
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire pottery Prattware model which features a long case clock with cherubs above the clock face, stood directly on the ground, no base. Flatback, decorated only to the front...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Earthenware

Staffordshire Pearlware Piper with Dog Bocage Figure
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire pottery pearlware bocage figure with a musical theme which features a boy playing a pipe. His dog by his side, stood on a shaped base. Decorated 'in the round' - decora...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Staffordshire Prattware Long Case Clock Model
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery Prattware model which features a long case clock with floral decoration to the front, stood directly on the ground, no base. Flatback, decorated only to the fro...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pottery

Staffordshire Pearlware Long Case Clock
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery pearlware model which features a long case clock, stood on a marbleised base. Decorated 'in the round' - decoration to front and ...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pottery

Related Items
Pair of Late Staffordshire Recumbent Figures of Dalmatians
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Pair of late Staffordshire Recumbent figures Dalmatians USA, 20th 1950s A good pair of a later Staffordshire hand painted and enameled porcelain figures of reclining Dalmatians....
Category

Mid-20th Century English Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Mahogany Cased Barograph
Located in Cheshire, GB
Mahogany cased barograph, having five glazed removable lid, and a drawer below to house the charts. The mechanical eight-day movement is housed in the drum, fitted with a seven-day c...
Category

Late 19th Century British Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Mahogany

Mahogany Cased Barograph
Mahogany Cased Barograph
H 8.5 in W 14.5 in D 9 in
Pair of 19th Century Staffordshire Scottish Highlander Hunters
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Handsome pair of 19th century equestrian Staffordshire porcelain Scottish Highlander hunters on horseback. Each bearded gentleman is depicted seate...
Category

19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Porcelain

Fine 18th Century Irish Mahogany Long Case Clock
Located in Lincolnshire, GB
A fine example of an 18th century mahogany long case clock with fantastic carved details to the hood and a flame mahogany door, the eight day ...
Category

1770s Irish Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Mahogany

Fine 18th Century Irish Mahogany Long Case Clock
Fine 18th Century Irish Mahogany Long Case Clock
H 94.49 in W 20.48 in D 11.42 in
1980s Klh Fm Top Stereo Clock Radio Walnut Case Mod. Tr-82
Located in San Diego, CA
Great design on this cool KLH FM tabletop stereo, circa the 1980s made in Japan, beautiful walnut case nice clean condition in working condition a little static when you up the volum...
Category

20th Century Japanese Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Walnut, Plastic

Pair of English Staffordshire Glazed Ceramic Dogs
Located in Rio Vista, CA
Fine pair of English Staffordshire glazed ceramic spaniels featuring white bodies with remnants of gold decoration. Beautiful craquelure finish and fac...
Category

20th Century English Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Ceramic

18th Century Blue Swedish Baroque Long Case Clock
Located in Kramfors, SE
Blue baroque long case clock from the mid to late 18th century, between 1770 and 1790. The clock is Swedish and made from Swedish pine with the original blue paint as well as the aut...
Category

Late 18th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pine

19th Century Swedish Long Case Clock from Nusnäs
Located in Kramfors, SE
Long case clock form Nusnäs. This type of clock is often referred to as a Nusnäs clock after the municipality Nusnäs in the Swedish province Dalarna where they were made. The clocks ...
Category

Mid-19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pine

Antique Miniature Staffordshire Pottery Spaniel Dog Figurine with Confetti Fur
Located in Philadelphia, PA
A fine antique English Staffordshire pottery figurine. Depicting a seated Spaniel. With confetti fur and painted black highlights. Simply a wonderful Staffordshire dog figurine...
Category

Late 19th Century British Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pottery

19th Century Swedish Rococo Long Case Clock
Located in Kramfors, SE
Northern Swedish classic Rococo long case clock from the first half of the 19th century, circa 1820-1830. The clock has a good size and the clas...
Category

Early 19th Century Swedish Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pine

19th Century Swedish Rococo Long Case Clock
19th Century Swedish Rococo Long Case Clock
H 85.44 in W 22.84 in D 7.49 in
Staffordshire Marble Slipware Glazed Pottery Pig Moneybox
Located in Bishop's Stortford, Hertfordshire
A delightful antique English Staffordshire pottery pig moneybox decorated in marble effect slipware glazes and dating from around 1840. The moneybox shaped as...
Category

1840s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pottery

Staffordshire Marble Slipware Glazed Pottery Pig Moneybox
Staffordshire Marble Slipware Glazed Pottery Pig Moneybox
Free Shipping
H 2.37 in W 3.94 in D 2.17 in
Mechanical Bank "Child's Clock Bank" Japan, circa 1950s
By Marusan
Located in Incline Village, NV
A unique and quite scarce bank, made in Japan by the Marusan Company for the American market in the 1950's; this all tin bank is known as (according to the gr...
Category

1950s Japanese Vintage Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Tin

Previously Available Items
Staffordshire Large Pearlware Whistle Modeled as a Bird on Tree Branch, 1810
Located in Downingtown, PA
Staffordshire Large Pearlware Model of Bird on Tree Branch Designed as a Whistle, circa 1810-1820. A lovely figure of a bird is a whistle depicted o...
Category

Early 19th Century English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pearlware, Pottery

Pair of Pearlware Staffordshire 'Sports Man' & 'Archer' Figures
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Pair of Staffordshire pottery pearlware bocage figures with a hunting theme which feature a huntsman with his dog and a female archer, stood on shaped bases. The pieces are titled, '...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Staffordshire Pearlware Bocage Tythe Pig Group
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery pearlware bocage group with a religious theme which features a vicar and two parishioners with a baby standing before a bocage tree. On the ground are two small...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Staffordshire Creamware Ram figure
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery creamware figure which features a ram, recumbent on an oval base. Decorated 'in the round' - decoration to front and reverse. Open bottomed.
Category

Early 1800s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Creamware

Staffordshire Creamware Ram figure
Staffordshire Creamware Ram figure
H 3.9 in W 5.5 in D 3.1 in
Staffordshire Pearlware 'John Wesley' Bust
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire pottery pearlware bust with a religious theme which features John Wesley, resting on a plinth base. Multi-colored version. Decorated 'in the round' - decoration to fron...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Staffordshire Pearlware 'John Wesley' Bust
Staffordshire Pearlware 'John Wesley' Bust
H 11.23 in W 6.3 in L 11.23 in
Staffordshire Pearlware 'Peace' Figure
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery pearlware peace figure with a classical theme which features a woman putting a torch to instruments of war, stood on a square base. Decorated 'in the round' - d...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pottery

Staffordshire Pearlware 'Peace' Figure
Staffordshire Pearlware 'Peace' Figure
H 8.67 in W 3.55 in L 8.67 in
Staffordshire Pearlware Ceres Figure
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery pearlware figure with a mythological theme which features a lady wrapped in a shawl, holding a cornucopia of flowers, stood on a square base. Multi-colored vers...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Staffordshire Pearlware Ceres Figure
Staffordshire Pearlware Ceres Figure
H 8.67 in W 3.55 in D 2.76 in
Staffordshire Pearlware Apollo Figure
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire pottery pearlware figure with a mythological theme, which features Apollo playing the lyre, stood on a square base. Multi-coloured version. Decorated 'in the round' - d...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Staffordshire Pearlware Apollo Figure
Staffordshire Pearlware Apollo Figure
H 12.6 in W 4.93 in D 4.14 in
Staffordshire Pearlware Pottery Figure of John Wesley
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery pearlware figure with a religious theme which features John Wesley, stood on a square hollow base. Decorated 'in the round' - de...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Pair of Staffordshire Pearlware Juno and Neptune Figures
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Pair of Staffordshire Pottery pearlware figures with a classical theme which feature Gods, Juno and Jupiter, stood on a square base. Decorated 'in the round' - decoration to front an...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Staffordshire Pearlware Neptune Figure
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery pearlware figure with a classical theme which features Neptune holding trident (detachable) with a dolphin, stood on a square pedestal base. Decorated 'in the r...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Materials

Pottery

Staffordshire Pearlware Plato Bust
Located in Chelmsford, Essex
Staffordshire Pottery pearlware bust with a classical theme which features the head and shoulders of a bearded gentleman, wearing a robe, resting on a plinth base. The piece is title...
Category

1820s English Antique Folk Art Furniture

Staffordshire Pearlware Plato Bust
Staffordshire Pearlware Plato Bust
H 13 in W 8.27 in D 4.73 in

Folk Art furniture for sale on 1stDibs.

Find a broad range of unique folk art furniture for sale on 1stDibs. Many of these items were first offered in the 21st Century and Contemporary, but contemporary artisans have continued to produce works inspired by this style. If you’re looking to add vintage furniture created in this style to your space, the works available on 1stDibs include folk art, decorative objects, wall decorations and other home furnishings, frequently crafted with wood, metal and other materials. If you’re shopping for used Folk Art furniture made in a specific country, there are Europe, North America, and United States pieces for sale on 1stDibs. While there are many designers and brands associated with original furniture, popular names associated with this style include Berber Tribes of Morocco, Mosche Bianche, Jim Rose, and Nils Olsson. It’s true that these talented designers have at times inspired knockoffs, but our experienced specialists have partnered with only top vetted sellers to offer authentic pieces that come with a buyer protection guarantee. Prices for furniture differ depending upon multiple factors, including designer, materials, construction methods, condition and provenance. On 1stDibs, the price for these items starts at $20 and tops out at $225,000 while the average work can sell for $1,252.

Recently Viewed

View All