PAGODA RED Folk Art

This large ceramic jar is a vintage Chinese wine vessel from the early 20th century, originally used for aging wine and spirits made from rice, bar...

This long, wooden carving is an early 20th century Chinese weaving shuttle, once used by skilled artists in Yunnan province to weave textiles of cotton, hemp and silk upon the loom. Known as a stick shuttle, the rustic tool is simply designed with a slender handle and two prongs at either end to hold yarn or thread. Elevated by a custom steel stand, the antique shuttle...

A vibrant patchwork of strip-woven fabric, this antique yellow kente cloth is a beautiful example of West African weaving tradition. Attributed to Ashanti or Ewe artists of Ghana and...

A vibrant patchwork of strip-woven fabric, this antique blue kente cloth is a beautiful example of West African weaving tradition. Attributed to Ashanti or Ewe artists of Ghana and t...

This string of hand-formed glass beads makes for a simple yet elegant contemporary necklace. Each glass bead is rounded and tinted with dark pigment with a matte texture. Paired with...

This string of hand-formed glass beads makes for a simple yet elegant contemporary necklace. Each glass bead is rounded and tinted with dark pigment with a matte texture. Paired with...

This sculptural metal form is a Mbole currency anklet from the early 20th century. Worn by both men and women, this type of leg ornament (ambi) was worn at the ankle as ceremonial at...

This woven basket from Guizhou province celebrates the beautiful simplicity of a hand-woven object. Expertly woven of thin bamboo strips, the little basket was originally used for pr...

With knees bent and weight shifted to one side, this early 20th century Thai sculpture of a court performer is imbued with movement, as though about to spring into a traditional danc...

This footed offering box from southeast Asia brings vibrant color and folk charm to modern interiors as a vide-poche or catch-all dish. The vintage box is shaped of hand-turned wood ...

This colorful, wooden ladle continues the time-honored tradition of Burmese lacquer art (pan yun). Built atop a substrate of wood or bamboo, the decorative ladle has a vibrant finish...

For the Dagari people of Burkina Faso and Ghana, this highly stylized figure embodied the living spirit of a deceased ancestor. Tucked away from view in a secret alcove or shrine, th...

Dated to the mid-19th century, this rustic wooden press is carved with five round molds used for shaping festive mooncakes. Packed with lotus root, red bean, or other regional fillin...

The Baule people of the Ivory Coast used ram masks in secular, public performances. Realistically carved, and wonderfully decorated, they were designed to draw attention and enhance ...

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...

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...

While shield and spear were central to African combat, this iron sword blade was most likely made to serve as a piece of trade currency. Many pre-colonization African currencies were...

Abstract and sculptural, this wooden form demonstrates the timeless appeal of African art. Hand-carved to an hourglass shape, the unusual figure is actually a grinding mortar, compri...

This large animal sculpture is actually a traditional African slit drum, a percussive instrument commonly carved from a single block of wood. Comprised of a hollow resonance chamber ...

While shield and spear were central to African combat, this iron example was most likely made to serve as a piece of trade currency. Many pre-colonization African currencies were modeled after objects of inherent value, resulting in sculptural combinations of function and beauty. This large iron spear dates to the early 20th century and is attributed to the Kuba people of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Secured to a narrow handle of iron and wood, the flattened blade has an elegant, sloping silhouette, subtly textured with raised lines and a rusted, antique patina. Forged as a broadleaf spear, the weapon contrasts a violent potential with images of peaceful branches swaying in the wind. We've set this unusual Kuba spear...

Visually dynamic and highly textured, this raffia textile expresses the irregular, geometric patterns typical of Kuba textile art. Created by an artisan of the Kuba people of the Dem...

This charming antique box dates to the late 19th century and is a Victorian-era travel kit with sewing and grooming tools, also known as an etui or nécessaire. The compact travel cas...

This ceremonial African mask is linked to the Salampasu people of the Bantu ethnic group located primarily in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Salampasu masks...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Working from found materials, Fitzgerald constructs miniature soap box cars and the ...

This hand carved 20th century wooden staff, was crafted in the style of the Tabwa people located along the southwestern shores of Lake Tanganyika. The handle is finely decorated with...

World-renowned for high-quality lost wax casting, the city of Benin in West Africa has been a leading producer of fine cast brass and bronze sculptures since as early as the 16th cen...

Artisans from the Luba tribe were renowned for the organic flow of their carving style. This example clearly shows the smooth transition from aspect to aspect, maintaining a singular...

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...

The figurative sculptures of the Baule peoples of Cote d'Ivoire are recognizable by their strong, gently curving forms and serene composure. This figure of a woman was carved to repr...

Buried with their flared mouths facing down, these cylindrical storage vessels protected the deceased's possessions as they transitioned to the afterl...

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...

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...

Light masks like these represented the spirit of an ancestor and were used for social control by Ngil, the judiciary association. The facial markings, abstract features and strong, e...

To ward off evil and exert positive influences on the spirit world, the Baule people engage in a daylong masquerade known as the Goli. A sequence of four masks are donned during the ...

During their five hundred year history in the Southern Congo, the Basuku tribe developed a series of intricate rituals built around their skilled mask makers. This particular example was most likely carved in the likeness of a deceased chieftain. The artisan intentionally pronounced the eyes, cheeks, and chin to provide a terrifying test for young men as they underwent their rites for manhood. The Basuku's spiritual expressions inspired early 20th century western painters...

This late 19th century hand-held wood press is carved with a large mold used for shaping festive mooncakes. Packed with lotus root, red bean, or other regional fillings, mooncakes ar...

The Nupe people of Nigeria were touted as some of the finest ceramicists in Africa. Everyday objects like this elegant, cylindrical vessel support received detailed attention. This f...

This abstract stone sculpture is a funerary marker of the Bura people of the Niger/Mali region. Little is known about the Bura civilization (c. 200 to 1000 AD), but it shares many of...

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...

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...

This intriguing head fragment was once attached to a pre-Columbian bust or full effigy figurine. Earthenware figurines like this were made in great abundance throughout Mesoamerican history, serving a wide variety of purposes and functions from religious rituals to burial offerings. Figurines like this commemorated important people and events across Mesoamerica, portraying individuals of different rank and status such as soldiers, merchants, bureaucrats, and occasionally divinities. This figure is adorned with an elaborate headdress, or coiffure, and ear spools...

Stamps, or sellos, such as this one were common during the pre-Columbian period in Mesoamerica and most popular during the Formative Period that spanned the years between 1200-800 B....

This standing effigy was crafted in 500 A.D. - 1000 A.D. Mesoamerica using the gray clay paste that characterizes La Tolita-Tumaco ceramics of early Colombia-Ecuador. The art of La Tolita-Tumaco civilization is considered one of the most developed of the pre-Columbian period as metalwork and ceramics were the most popular form of cultural expression. The ceramic creations of this culture were often based on the human figure to create portraits of people and realistic daily scenes of life cycles and the human condition. This figure appears to be wearing a loincloth and is adorned with a beaded necklace and an elaborate coiffure or headdress. There are holes lining each ear indicating the potential use of ear spools...

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...

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...

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...

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

Richly textured with whimsical appeal, this late 20th century wooden crow is a delightful example of naive American sculpture. Poised mid-caw, the crow's wings are outstretched, read...

Marked by the telltale Bamileke rounded disc seat and base, this stool features a group of pondering human figures as its vertical supports instead of the more common abstract carvin...

So as not to muss their intricate hairstyles while sleeping, Ethiopian women would traditionally rest their heads on these petite wooden stands. The combination of conic base and con...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his miniature car sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Born from a fascination with the soap box derby cars of his youth, each vehicle is an exercise in imagining the future through the lens of the past – or vice versa. Built from found materials collected over the years, the car's futuristic form is layered with personal memories and keepsakes from the past. The most minute of details is always intentional – from the weathered finish to the fictitious sponsor to the miniaturized furnishings of the cramped interior. This coloful vehicle entitled “Senzo Titulo” is a play upon the 1964 film "Il Deserto Rosso," or "Red Desert," by Italian filmmaker Michelangelo Antonioni...

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...

Exhibiting a rich patina and a beautifully irregular pattern of pitted wear, this petite redware olla vessel shows many telltale signs of Pre-Columbian pottery. The vessel has a glob...

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...

Starring Jean Claude Van-Damme and Dolph Lundgren, Universal Soldier was a pulpy action/sci-fi from the early 1990s. The film's international success is...

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...

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...

This helmet mask created by the Mende people of Sierra Leone was made for the women of their tribe to wear while dancing. Commissioned by women for their ...

To Chicago-based artist Patrick Fitzgerald, his miniature car sculptures are a means of traveling through time. Born from a fascination with the soap box derby cars of his youth, eac...

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...