Decorative Arts

art and design · craftsmanship · everyday beauty

Designed to last. Decorative arts blend beauty with function, so a ceramic bowl isn't just pretty to look at, it actually holds your food or flowers. This makes decorative arts different from paintings or sculptures that are only meant to be admired.

Endless varieties. Decorative arts include jewelry that sparkles on your wrist, textiles like woven blankets and embroidered tapestries, metalwork such as decorative door handles, glassware with brilliant colors and patterns, and furniture that's both comfortable and gorgeous to look at.

Inside every building. Decorative arts fill the rooms where we live and work, from the tiles on your bathroom walls to the lamp on your nightstand to the curtains that frame your window. They're everywhere once you start noticing them.

Skill meets imagination. Creating decorative arts requires both technical skill (knowing how to work with clay, metal, or thread) and artistic vision (knowing what will be beautiful and work well). Craftspeople spend years mastering their techniques.

Ancient and modern. People have been making decorative arts for thousands of years, from ancient Egyptian jewelry to medieval tapestries to the modern furniture and dishes we use today. Every culture has its own traditions.