Discover the World of Decorative and Applied Arts

Are you a general reader, collector, curator, or scholar with a passion for the rich history and intricate details of decorative and applied arts? Explore our extensive archive with over 1,700 meticulously researched entries covering the past 300 years. From furniture and textiles to ceramics and industrial design, find accurate and detailed information on individuals, businesses, and materials that have shaped this vibrant field.

Engage with the past, enrich your knowledge, and immerse yourself in the artistry of design.

Decorative & Applied Arts

Modernist interior corridor associated with Wolfgang Hoffmann, showing functionalist design principles in a 1930s exhibition or public space.

Wolfgang Hoffmann (1900–1969) | Austrian Modernist Designer

Stockholm Exhibition 1930 pavilions by Erik Gunnar Asplund illustrating early Swedish Functionalist architecture

Introduction to the Stockholm Exhibition 1930

Library still life featuring design history, applied arts, and decorative arts books arranged on shelves and a reading table

Essential Reading in Applied & Decorative Arts

Early 20th-century Liberty-style table by Giovanni Battista Gianotti, crafted in Milan. Features elegant wood inlays, curved supports, and intricate decorative details.

Guéridon: The French Pedestal Table and Its Origins in Decorative Art

British passport navy blue cover showing the Royal Coat of Arms and text “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Passport.”

British Passport a Symbol to Expolore

Type specimen sheet by William Caslon showing Roman, italic, Greek, Hebrew, and other letterforms.

William Caslon: Authority in Type

Painting showing simplified figures on Studland Beach, with flattened forms and muted colour planes.

Omega Workshops: Modern Art Comes Home

Aesthetic Wall Collage Kit Posters - Bauhaus Exhibition Posters, Set of 6 Rare German Art School Prints/Geometric Prints Mid Century Art Print

Bauhaus Posters: Graphic Design as Applied Art, Pedagogy, and Public Communication

An example Vogue Regency style that was pioneered by Syrie Maugham

Historic Interiors: Syrie Maugham and the Theatre of Light

Discover the Wonders of Architectural Design

Architecture

Modernist interior corridor associated with Wolfgang Hoffmann, showing functionalist design principles in a 1930s exhibition or public space.

Wolfgang Hoffmann (1900–1969) | Austrian Modernist Designer

Mausoleum of Khoja Ahmed Yasawi in Turkistan, Kazakhstan, featuring turquoise domes, geometric tilework, and Arabic calligraphic inscriptions integrated into the architectural façade.

Inscriptions as Decorative Composition in Central Asian Applied Arts

Design Disciplines

Discover the marriage of form and function in industrial design.

Industrial Design

Set of six French Art Deco armchairs by Jean Pascaud, ebonised wood with pink embroidered upholstery, circa 1930

Jean Pascaud: Architectural Discipline and Luxury Craft in French Art Deco Furniture

Hand-drawn mockup illustration of a Rick GATH surf helmet in profile view, showcasing its distinctive curved shell, minimal padding, and iconic 1980s GATH branding.

Ric Gath: The Reluctant Revolutionary of Surf Safety

Dive into the world of furniture design with insights into chairs, lamps, sofas, stools, and tables.

Furniture Design

Early 20th-century Liberty-style table by Giovanni Battista Gianotti, crafted in Milan. Features elegant wood inlays, curved supports, and intricate decorative details.

Guéridon: The French Pedestal Table and Its Origins in Decorative Art

Set of six French Art Deco armchairs by Jean Pascaud, ebonised wood with pink embroidered upholstery, circa 1930

Jean Pascaud: Architectural Discipline and Luxury Craft in French Art Deco Furniture

Graphic Design

British passport navy blue cover showing the Royal Coat of Arms and text “United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland Passport.”

British Passport a Symbol to Expolore

Type specimen sheet by William Caslon showing Roman, italic, Greek, Hebrew, and other letterforms.

William Caslon: Authority in Type

Aesthetic Wall Collage Kit Posters - Bauhaus Exhibition Posters, Set of 6 Rare German Art School Prints/Geometric Prints Mid Century Art Print

Bauhaus Posters: Graphic Design as Applied Art, Pedagogy, and Public Communication

Explore the versatility and beauty of ceramic artistry.

Ceramic Art and Design

The Japan Folk Crafts Museum (Nihon Mingeikan) in Tokyo, a traditional-style building dedicated to preserving and showcasing Japanese folk art and craftsmanship.

Soetsu Yanagi and the Revival of Japanese Folk Art

Glass Design

Elegant Luigi Bormioli Sublime Carafe with a cork stopper, accompanied by minimalist glassware, filled with water and fresh lime slices on a modern kitchen countertop.

Bormioli Luigi: The Evolution of Italian Glassware Excellence

Interior Design

An example Vogue Regency style that was pioneered by Syrie Maugham

Historic Interiors: Syrie Maugham and the Theatre of Light

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