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.
American Folk Art Carved Heron Pedestal Stand, Circa 1940
Located in Atlanta, GA
An American folk art carved and painted wood heron pedestal stand, circa 1940. This unusual decorative piece features a tall tree-form support with textured bark carving, branch deta...
Wood, Glass
Solid Teak Wood Column Base of Traditional Javanese House, Organic c. 1900
By Southeast Asia
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A wonderful soild teak wood column base the once occupied the interior structure of a traditional Javanese "Limasan" house. Limasan houses have a design ancestry of more than a mille...
Teak
Solid Teak Wood Column Base of Traditional Javanese House, Organic c. 1900
By Southeast Asia
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A wonderful soild teak wood column base the once occupied the interior structure of a traditional Javanese "Limasan" house. Limasan houses have a design ancestry of more than a mille...
Teak
Solid Teak Wood Column Base of Traditional Javanese House, Organic c. 1900
By Southeast Asia
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A wonderful soild teak wood column base the once occupied the interior structure of a traditional Javanese "Limasan" house. Limasan houses have a design ancestry of more than a mille...
Teak
Solid Teak Wood Column Base of Traditional Javanese House, Organic c. 1900
By Southeast Asia
Located in Jimbaran, Bali
A wonderful soild teak wood column base the once occupied the interior structure of a traditional Javanese "Limasan" house. Limasan houses have a design ancestry of more than a mille...
Teak
$2,773
H 40.1 in W 12 in D 12 in
Antique Early 1900s Hand Carved Oak Pedestal Display Stand, Floral Sculptered
Located in Lisse, NL
Stunning display column with a warm and beautiful patina. If you are looking for an antique column pedestal for displaying a vase, a plant, ...
Oak
A French pair of marble columns pedestals, ca 1900
Located in Delft, NL
A French pair of marble columns pedestals, ca 1900 A pair of marble columns with plateau in bordeaux and white color marble stone with several round vertical bars of marble on a squ...
Marble, Brass
Pair Art Deco Pedestal Stands Tables Roaring Twenties
Located in Potters Bar, GB
Striking pair of Art Deco style cylindrical pedestal stands veneered in richly figured Macassar ebony, the dramatic striped grain creating a bold vertical pattern typical of high-qua...
Ebony, Macassar
$7,877Sale Price|25% Off
H 89.38 in W 12.21 in D 12.21 in
19th Century Italian Architectural Corinthian Wood Columns on Stone Base - Pair
Located in Firenze, IT
This tall pair of Italian 19th century Louis XVI style hand carved walnut architectural columns with Corinthian capitals and stone base boasts a fluted and slender body crowned with ...
Stone, Sandstone
Carved Teak Indian Temple Column
Located in Chicago, IL
This monumental Indian column once supported part of the entrance or courtyard cloister in a grand mansion. Originally part of a series, this individual column is all that remains. The piece comes in multiple stacked segments, distributing the weight of the original structure from its floral motif capital through its stone plinth. Only one is available. Origin: Rajasthan, India, 19th century. During the colonial period, Indian traders amassed huge fortunes and some of that wealth found its way into mansions and palaces. A hundred or more years later, many (if not most) of these structures are obsolete or the fortunes of their owners have dwindled. Many are in urban areas in which land is very valuable now and aggressively sought for multi-storey buildings. Old single-storey mansions are often disassembled piece-by piece and the parts sold on the international market. India is one of very few countries that have the labor supply to decommission old structures in this meticulous way. The column could be used in an architectural, load-bearing way or as a free-standing decoration...
Stone
$3,982Sale Price / set|25% Off
H 29.14 in W 15.75 in D 15.75 in
Pair of Mid-Century Italian Plexiglass Pedestal/Columns/Base/Legs
By TOP line
Located in Vilnius, LT
Mid-century Italian plexiglass and metal pedestal/columns/base/legs. Can be used as a base for table or console. Heavy and solid. Very good vintage condition.
Metal
Pair of Carved Wood Columns Pedestals
Located in London, GB
Classical carved wood columns pedestals in leafy scrollwork.
Wood
Pair of Tall Fluted Decorative Wood Columns, c. 1930
Located in Chicago, IL
Impressive pair of decorative pine columns, each standing just under 9-feet high. Crafted in the 1930s from high-quality pine in a warm, natural finish, the columns feature a classic...
Pine
Charles Dudouyt, Art Deco Oak Pedestal, France, C. 1940
Located in New York, NY
Polished oak pedestal designed by Charles Dudouyt for La Gentilhommière This tall pedestal by the famous, early twentieth century furniture maker Charles Dudouyt possesses a remarka...
Oak
Neoclassical Carved Wooden Columnar Pedestal Stand, Late 20th Century
Located in Elkhart, IN
A sculptural carved wood pedestal inspired by the architectural vocabulary of the ancient world. The form references a classical column, with a fluted shaft rising from a stepped cir...
Wood
Italian Art Nouveau Majolica Heron Pedestal Planter, circa 1900
Located in Antwerp, BE
Italian Art Nouveau Majolica Pedestal and Planter with Heron, circa 1900 A striking Italian Art Nouveau majolica pedestal and planter dating from the early 20th century. This sculp...
Ceramic, Majolica
Antique Hand Carved Wooden Twisted Column Pedestal Sculpture Display Stand
Located in Lisse, NL
Impressive antique display pedestal with wonderful hand-carved details and a warm, rich patina. Made in the early 1900s, this tall and elegant pedestal is a beautiful example of tra...
Wood, Nutwood
Vintage Boho Hand Carved Columns - A Pair
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Instantly elevate your interior with the dramatic presence of this stunning pair of vintage hand-carved wood columns. Each column is a testament to masterful woodworking, featuring d...
Pine
Pair of Vintage Triangular Pedestals
Located in Chireno, TX
Pair of vintage triangular pedestals circa 1935-1965. Painted in primary color oil paint. Painted finish is old - not recent. Perfect as tall side ...
Wood, Paint
19th Century French Alps Folk Art Jardinere
Located in Hastings, GB
Beautifully decorative folk art jardinere, originating from the French Alps, this style of folk art is characterised by the use of pine cones within the de...
Wood
Folk Art Red Painted Round Fluted Ribbed Tray Top Pedestal End Table Base MCM
Located in Dayton, OH
A very unique Primitive red painted Folk Art bowl or tray top table or base. Features a round bowl shaped top compartment supported by turned ribbed columns arranged in a fluted circ...
Hardwood, Paint
Guatemalan Carved Column Pedestal
Located in Chicago, IL
The Maya peoples of Guatemala created incredible works of art through columnar woodworking and stone shaping. The base carvings on this column emulate ferns and other low-lying folia...
Wood
Antique Wooden Pedestal, American Folk Art, circa 1900
Located in Haddonfield, NJ
Circular pedestal of four feet, American circa 1900 $125 flat rate front door delivery includes Washington DC metro, Baltimore and Philadelphia
Oak
Pair of Architectural Columns
Located in Palm Beach, FL
Here is a rare pair of Antique American Architectural columns that retain their original blue paint which through time and experience have develop...
English Folk Art Memory Plant Stand
Located in Troy, MI
Circa 1910 folk art plant stand or small table made with colorful pottery shards. Can be used indoors or out. Top is 10” square, base is 12” square.
Cement
Pair of Fairground Columns
Located in London, GB
A pair of wooden fairground columns, the Ionic capitals centred by rosettes above columns initialed 'WN', on plinth bases. Marbleised polychromati...