Folk Art Trees
A Primer On Collecting Mexican Folk Art
I love Mexican folk art! Whenever possible, I try to buy it directly from the artisans who create it. The pieces that speak to me, I keep and add to my own collection. The others, I share with family and friends as gifts, or sell to other collectors and home decor aficionados.
Many people collect museum quality artwork by world renowned Mexican artists. Others choose practical items such as talavera dishes, hand-woven textiles or silver jewelry. Some prefer items of a ceremonial or religious nature such as beaded masks, prayer bowls or retablos. Still others are attracted to the bright colors and whimsical design of Oaxacan wood carvings known as alebrije, painted tin ornaments, and Day of the Dead miniatures. Each of these items, and many more not mentioned, contribute to the diversity and charm of Mexican folk art.
The history of Mexico is depicted in Mexican folk art. Each piece tells a story or provides a symbolic representation of the Mexican people and their culture. Some folk art reflects the indigenous cultures of the past, many lost to the colonization by the Spaniards. Spanish influences are also present in some works, as are Christian, pagan and folkloric themes. A true collector must study Mexican beliefs and cultural values in depth to fully understand Mexican folk art.
As a new collector, you’ll want to know what to look for to be sure your Mexican folk art is authentic. One key element is the use of indigenous materials from each region of Mexico. For example: alebrije are made from the wood of the copal tree. This tree grows only in the Oaxacan valley. Craftsmanship is another telltale clue. Skill and style will vary between artisans and the price and quality will reflect their ability. However, authentic work is always aesthetically pleasing, well made, and is typically labeled in some manner, whether signed by the artist, with his or her village noted, or at least labeled Hecho en Mexico.
If you’re able to visit Mexico, buy folk art directly from the artisans or purchase from local shops in the region where it is made. Do not buy from vendors in tourist areas unless you wish to pay inflated prices for items that may be of an inferior quality. If your purchases are limited to specialty shops, galleries or online stores in the U.S., make sure you are dealing with a reputable seller and always check out their return policies before buying.
For additional help, there are numerous resources available at your local bookstore. The best, though pricey, is Great Masters of Mexican Folk Art by Fernandez De Calderon Candida. Several others are good hands-on guides pertaining to a specific type of folk art or region of Mexico.
One last thing and the most important in my opinion. When you buy and collect Mexican folk art, you are helping artisans earn a living wage through fair trade which enables them to support their families. You’re also supporting the continuation of ancient traditions and generations old craftsmanship, rather than endorsing mass-produced cheaply made copies of the real thing.
Now, let’s go shopping!
Christmas Trees of Colonial Williamsburg
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The Van Rensselear Children Portrait 1840 antique oil painting ! Folk art $24,900.00 |
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Antique Pair of Iconic American Folk Art Carved Pine Wood Eagle Sculpture – RARE $20,000.00 |
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Metal Art Sculpture Sculptor for Hire Travel Design fabricate install folk art ! $20,000.00 |
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Mamie Falk Folk Art Oil Painting – Considered Minnesota’s “Grandma Moses” $19,750.00 |
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Yuri Gorbachev ORIGINAL Landscape Oil painting Folk Art $17,500.00 |
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Folk Art wood statue of Grover Cleveland 1894 $9,500.00 |
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Antique Ship Captain Folk Art Carved Coconut Chalice $8,500.00 |
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Original Oil On Canvas Painting by Minni Hines Bayou Scene Folk Art 24×48 $8,495.75 |
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Chinese folk art sculpture carving stone inkstone for painting and handwriting $6,890.00 |
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Chinese handcraft folk art stone sculpture carving inkstone inkslab fly dragon $6,329.00 |
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Banjo Boy/ Pre-Civil War Folk Art on Linen $6,000.00 |
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LARGE Antique Americana Folk Art Painting of Boy -Civil War Col. Orlando H Moore $5,999.99 |
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Yuri Gorbachev Original Oil Painting Russian Art Folk $5,990.00 |
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Chinese handcraft folk art sculpture carving inkstone inkslab—Avalokitesvara $5,590.00 |
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AMERICAN FOLK ART PUPPET THEATRE QUEENS,NY $5,000.00 |
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Clementine Hunter Signed Framed Folk Art Painting Cotton Pickin’ c1977 20×26.25 $5,000.00 |
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vincent van gogh sculpture outsider folk art Dale Teachout assemblage junk $5,000.00 |
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Bessie Harvey Folk Art Found Object Museum Piece!!! $5,000.00 |
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PAIR OF 19TH C FOLK ART PORTRAITS PAINTINGS SIGNED P MARTIN 1886 HUSBAND & WIFE $4,999.99 |
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ANTIQUE 19th CENTURY AMERICAN FOLK ART ETCHED GLASS ALLEGHENY CTY PA GERMAN WOW $4,999.99 |
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ANTIQUE 19th CENTURY AMERICAN FOLK ART FISH HOOK MASSIVE IRON TRADE SIGN $4,999.99 |
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Signed OLD master GESSO FRAME OIL ON CANVAS PORTRAIT NELSON pipe Folk art $4,999.00 |
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Clementine Hunter Folk Art Painting Signed “Picking Cotton” $4,850.00 |
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Chinese folk art sculpture carving stone inkstone double dragon holding the sun $4,690.00 |
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FOLK ART OIL PAINTING PORTRAIT CHILD ICONIC RED DRESS PRINCE CHARLES SPANIEL $4,500.00 |
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Corbels Pair Wood Winged Griffins Victorian Old Paint Architectural Folk Art $4,500.00 |
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FOLK ART PAINTING SULLIVAN COUNTY NEW YORK J R GEROW $4,500.00 |
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Exceptional Folk Art Painting $4,500.00 |
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Johnnie Swearingen! Great Folk Art!!! Peddling Melons $4,500.00 |
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New England Folk Art Portrait on Canvas Ca.1830 $4,500.00 |
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Clementine Hunter Signed Framed Folk Art Painting Wash Day c1977 19.25 x 23.25in $4,500.00 |
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A Outstanding Early Trade Axe,Folk Art Hatchet, $4,500.00 |
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Yuri Gorbachev Original Oil Painting Russian Art Folk $4,490.00 |
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FANTASTIC FOLK ART CHEST $4,200.00 |
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Clementine Hunter Signed Framed Folk Art Painting African Headdress c1977 25.5h $4,000.00 |
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ANTIQUE MINIATURE PRIMITIVE FOLK ART WOOD RURAL SCENE FRAMED 12 1/4″ UNIQUE $3,885.00 |
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*RARE TRAMP / FOLK ART Shoe Shine Box – Brass/Wood-Detailed-Ornate-Exquisite $3,800.00 |
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Antique KNOTTY Tree Root Twig FOLK ART CHAIR Set GOODY KOONCH West Virginia $3,750.00 |
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Original Mexican Folk Art Icons Retablo:18-19th century $3,650.00 |
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Chinese handcraft folk art sculpture carving inkstone-an old man finshing alone $3,590.00 |
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Folk Art Hand Carved Soldier,6ft Tall Pick Up Only $3,532.50 |
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Unique/Exceptional Large Oval Folk Art Santa Claus Wood Carving signed Cobb 98 $3,500.00 |
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Painting Vintage 50s Cowboy Folk Art Levis Jeans Vinicur Little Buckaroo Parade $3,500.00 |
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Advertising Art / Folk Art / Christmas Hooked Rug – 5′x3 1/2′ $3,500.00 |
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Johnnie Swearingen! Great Folk Art!!! $3,500.00 |
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Chinese handcraft folk art sculpture carving inkstone inkslab—Lofty aspiration $3,490.00 |
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Terrazzo Marble Micro Mosaic Latin Ethnic Musicians Mural Folk Fine Art $3,374.99 |
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Original Mexican Folk Art Icons Retablo:18-19th century $3,250.00 |
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FINE 19c EARLY FOLK ART PORTRAIT PAINTING $3,225.00 |
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Israel Jewish Art,Sara Hagay,Israeli Folk Dance “hora”,Oil,Judaica,Framed $3,000.00 |
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mud painting signed jimmy sudduth a real folk art outsider master piece $3,000.00 |
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ANTIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART WOOD CANE ISLE ROYALE FIRE WW2 D DAY GI ? KENOSHA WI $2,999.99 |
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FRANK WYSO OUTSIDER FOLK ARTIST PENNSYLVANIA COAL MINERS 4 WORKS OF ART $2,999.99 |
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King’s Couch Rare One of a Kind Yard Art from Chicago Folk Hand Made furniture $2,999.99 |
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ANTIQUE 19th AMERICAN FOLK ART NATURALIST BUFFALO SETON STYLE CATLIN PAINTING $2,999.99 |
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Chinese handcraft folk art sculpture carving inkstone inkslab man walk in forest $2,999.00 |
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Chinese handcraft folk art sculpture carving inkstone inkslab a man watch moon $2,999.00 |
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fine Chinese handcraft folk art stone sculpture carving inkstone inkslab scenery $2,890.00 |
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Temperance Movement Folk Art Painting Folk Art Temperance Painting $2,850.00 |
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Anonymous Folk Art Carving Figure with Crown in Skirt with Snake $2,799.99 |
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ANTIQUE OIL PAINTING FOLK ART NEW ENGLAND ‘HUGES’ 1892 $2,750.00 |
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Chinese handcraft folk art stone sculpture carving inkstone inkslab with dragon $2,690.00 |
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FOLK ART Antique Wood Polychrome Carved Asian Figure Sculpture $2,500.00 |
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HUGE 37″ Antique 19th American Folk Art Carved Gilt Wood Eagle Statue Americana $2,500.00 |
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Antique Primitive Folk Art Hand Carved Wooden Dough Bowl $2,500.00 |
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FOLK ART OIL PAINTING OF THE SS “OCEAN” STEAMSHIP $2,475.00 |
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Ca. 1820 American Folk Art Painting Deformed Man $2,450.00 |
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James Harold Jennings Amazing and Colorful Folk Art! $2,400.00 |
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Doris Lee – Folk Art Painting – Signed and Titled – Original Condition $2,400.00 |
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DC: Prison Folk Art Matchstick Ship, HUGE 5′ Length $2,379.00 |
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Amazing ORIGINAL NAUTICAL AMERICAN FOLK ART PAINTING $2,285.00 |
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Early 20th Century Folk Art Sheep Painting/ Inside Barn $2,250.00 |
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FOLK ART COLLAGE/Presidential Stamp Collage $2,250.00 |
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Folk Art Handmade Ceramic Sculpture Plaque Dentist Pulling Tooth Dicker Vintage $2,200.00 |
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ANTIQUE Americana TRADE SIGN IMMIGRATION FOLK ART NYC ICE CREAM PUSH CART $2,200.00 |
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Ohio Pioneer Abraham Betz 1818 HANDWRITTEN LESSON BOOK with FOLK ART $2,150.00 |
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HAITIAN ART: Vibrant PAINTING, SIGNED by Renowned Folk Artist TOUSSAINT AUGUSTE $2,150.00 |
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Philippines National Artist Abdul Imao Brass Sculpture w/ Base Mindanao Folk Art $2,100.00 |
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Ellen Eilers Calico Country Folk Art Woodcut Ornamental Trees Rare Early Work $2,000.00 |
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ANTIQUE 19th CENTURY AMERICAN FOLK ART FRUIT STILL LIFE WATERMELON OIL PAINTING $1,999.99 |
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ANTIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART WOOD BALEEN CARVED SPERM WHALE GROTESQUE AMERICANA WOW $1,999.99 |
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ANTIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART SHIP LIGHTHOUSE LARGE OIL PAINTING GERNAND VERMIER $1,999.99 |
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Vtg Rutherford Tubby Brown Xmas 25″Folk Art Santa Claus $1,999.99 |
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AMERICAN FOLK ART GAMEBOARD TABLE WITH SWASTIKAS $1,999.00 |
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Chinese handcraft folk art sculpture carving inkstone peasant work on his land $1,999.00 |
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LAURA SIQUEIROS “POSEIDONS ADVENTURE” FOLK ART PAINTING $1,999.00 |
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Old Folk Art Cinderella pre Disney & Kincade Beautiful $1,995.00 |
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Clyde Connell 1943 Folk Art hooked rug signed LISTED $1,900.00 |
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ANTIQUE AMERICAN FOLK ART WOOD CARVING TOBACCO CIGAR TRADE SIGN ? DISPLAY WOW $1,899.99 |
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Chinese folk art sculpture carving stone inkstone for painting and handwriting $1,890.00 |
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WELSH AMERICAN SIGNED FOLK ART PAINTING JFK PT 109 $1,850.00 |
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ORIGINAL TEXAS ARTIST FERGUSON OIL PAINTING FOLK ART $1,822.50 |
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C Peterson ORIGINAL modern FOLKART sculpture SIGN ART painted OUT of WORK tools $1,817.00 |
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48x48x1.5″█OIL▀PAINTING█ART█LARGE█BIG█PAINTINGS█FINE█RAW█MALE█REALISM█FOLK_POP█A $1,800.00 |
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American Folk Art Painting of Little Girl Circa 1825 $1,800.00 |
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Emma Schrock Folk Art 16″ by 12″ $1,795.00 |
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c1920 Girl Knitting Folk Woman Antique Art Signed Oil Estate Painting $1,795.00 |
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Folk Art Wood Carving Listed Folk Artist Albert Hoffman $1,750.00 |
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Folk Art New England Oil on Canvas Painting/Circa 1860 $1,750.00 |
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HUTCH TABLE WITH FOLK ART 4 SEASON ARTIST PAINTED TOP $1,750.00 |
