Included in the examples are works from the Charleston and Old Slave Mart museums and the ironwork of Philip Simmons.

"The world-renowned collection of European decorative arts at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, is full of sumptuous surprises ... the objects ... vary in scale from a salt cellar in the shape of a small crustacean to the fine wood paneling of an entire dining room. Their dates of manufacture span more than a thousand years ... Presented here with an introduction to the topic and individual texts on each piece, these diverse works are organized chronologically and by styulistic movements to highlight their hidden histories"--Publisher's description.

Winterthur Museum is world renowned for its decorative arts collections and its exceptional educational programs. Adapted from the training materials developed at the museum, the revised and enhanced Early American Decorative Arts, 1620-1860: A Handbook for Interpreters is an indispensable guide for anyone involved with interpretation of decorative arts collections. Early American Decorative Arts, 1620-1860 elucidates the principles of public interpretation, explains how to analyze objects, and defines the concept of style. Eighteen chapters provide comprehensive descriptions of decorative arts including furniture, ceramics, textiles, paintings and prints, metalwork, glass, and other objects. Many museums and historic sites display such collections to thousands of visitors annually. Guides, interpreters, educators, and collection managers will find this book a helpful summary and a guide to further research. This enhanced edition includes now includes a CD featuring beautiful color images of the more than 170 black-and-white photographs in the book, bringing the Winterthur collections to life on your computer and in your classroom. Published in cooperation with Winterthur Museum, Garden & Library.

This anthology gathers together the most significant writings on the theory of the decorative arts from the mid-eighteenth century to the 1940s. The volume offers the first history of the theory of decorative art as it emerged in the West and reconstructs the debates over how to define this category of art and distinguish it from the fine arts (music, poetry, architecture, painting, and sculpture).

This anthology gathers together the most significant writings on the theory of the decorative arts from the mid-eighteenth century to the 1940s. The volume offers the first history of the theory of decorative art as it emerged in the West and reconstructs the debates over how to define this category of art and distinguish it from the fine arts (music, poetry, architecture, painting, and sculpture).