The Decorative Arts Dictionary is a comprehensive guide that covers 150 years of the decorative and applied arts. These articles provide an in-depth exploration of the evolution of decorative arts from the mid-19th century to the present day. It covers various topics, including furniture, ceramics, glassware, textiles, metalwork, and jewellery.
It offers a fascinating insight into how art movements have influenced decorative arts over time and how they continue to shape contemporary design today. Whether you are a collector, designer, or art enthusiast, these articles will surely provide you with a wealth of knowledge on this fascinating subject.
Explore the aegis as a divine attribute and decorative motif, from Athena’s snake-edged covering to Roman cameos and mosaics, and learn how it differs from a gorgoneion.Read More →
Explore Aaron’s rod through biblical stories, medieval sculpture and Renaissance ceramics, with a guide to distinguishing it from the caduceus.Read More →
The architectural abacus crowns a column capital. Explore its role, variations across the classical orders, and relationship to carved ornament.Read More →
Alhambresque ornament connects the Nasrid decoration of Granada’s Alhambra with its later revival in European design. Explore its geometry, plant forms, inscriptions and transmission through Owen Jones.Read More →
Doulton Silicon Ware was a distinctive high-fired English stoneware made at Lambeth, recognised for its matt smear glaze and carved, incised, perforated and applied decoration.Read More →
Alkanet dye is a natural red colourant obtained from the root of Alkanna tinctoria, a perennial plant native from eastern Central Europe to the Mediterranean.Read More →
Hard paste porcelain, developed from kaolin and petuntse, offers exceptional durability and translucency. Originating in China, it influenced European ceramics after successful replication in 1709.Read More →
Arnside Tower, a late medieval pele tower in Cumbria, remains a striking roofless structure, emblematic of domestic defense in historic border conflicts in northern England.Read More →
Pinchbeck brooch, c. 1750, is an alloy of copper and zinc developed by Christopher Pinchbeck, offering a gold-like appearance that became popular for affordable fashion.Read More →
The hippocamp is a mythical sea creature with a horse’s upper body and a fish’s tail, linked to Poseidon, often depicted in art and decorative motifs.Read More →