Decorative Arts, TOT-WIC
People appreciate the usefulness of things like glassware and furniture, but they appreciate such objects even more when theyâre aesthetically pleasing, too. Thatâs where decorative art comes in. Explore the world of basketry, metalwork, pottery, interior design, tapestry, and more.
Decorative Arts Encyclopedia Articles By Title
Totem pole
Totem pole, carved and painted log, mounted vertically, constructed by the Native Americans of the Northwest Coast......
Toupee
Toupee, originally, any raised roll of hair just above the forehead, either natural or artificial; today, a small......
tourmaline
tourmaline, borosilicate mineral of complex and variable composition. Three types of tourmaline, distinguished......
Tournai porcelain
Tournai porcelain, porcelain made from about the mid-18th to the mid-19th century at a factory in Tournai, Belg.......
Toutin, Jean
Toutin, Jean was a French enamelworker who was one of the first artists to make enamel portrait miniatures. Although......
transfer printing
transfer printing, method of decorating pottery by using an inked, engraved copperplate to make a print on paper......
Transylvanian rug
Transylvanian rug, any of the large numbers of floor coverings found in the churches of Transylvania (part of Romania),......
treated gem
treated gem, genuine gem material whose colour has been artificially enhanced or produced to increase the value......
Treen
Treen, small wooden objects in daily domestic or farm use and in use in trades and professions. Treen includes......
trellis
trellis, framework on which trees and climbing plants are trained. It is usually constructed of long, narrow wood......
Trevelyan, Julian
Julian Trevelyan was a British artist who was a founding member of the British Surrealist group in the 1930s. He......
Tripod
Tripod, any piece of furniture with three legs. The word can apply to a wide range of objects, including stools,......
Triptych
Triptych, work of art made of three sections or panels, often used to tell a narrative story or depict a complex......
Trnka, JiĆĂ
JiĆĂ Trnka was a preeminent filmmaker of the Czech puppet animation tradition who was also a painter, designer,......
Trousers
Trousers, an outer garment covering each leg separately and extending from the waist to the knees, calf, or ankles.......
Troy, Jean-François de
Jean-François de Troy was a French Rococo painter known for his tableaux de mode, or scenes of the life of the......
Trundle bed
Trundle bed, a low bed, so called from the trundles, or casters, that were attached to the feet so that it could......
Tschichold, Jan
Jan Tschichold was a German typographer and author who played a seminal role in the development of 20th-century......
Tsuzure
Tsuzure, Japanese tapestry, the full name of which is tsuzure-nishiki (âpolychrome tapestryâ). They were usually......
Tucker porcelain
Tucker porcelain, pottery ware made from 1826 to 1838 at a factory founded in Philadelphia by William Ellis Tucker,......
Tunic
Tunic, basic garment worn by men and women in the ancient Mediterranean world. It was fashioned from two pieces......
Tupolev
Tupolev, Russian aerospace design bureau that is a major producer of civilian passenger airliners and military......
Turban
Turban, a headdress consisting of a long scarf wound round the head or a smaller, underlying hat. Turbans vary......
turf
turf, in horticulture, the surface layer of soil with its matted, dense vegetation, usually grasses grown for ornamental......
Turin faience
Turin faience, tin-glazed earthenware made in Turin, Italy, from the 16th century through the 18th. It is known......
Turkey work
Turkey work, form of knotted embroidery practiced in England from the 16th century to the mid-18th century, but......
Turkish style
Turkish style, a fashion of furniture and decorative design based on Middle Eastern styles that flourished from......
turquoise
turquoise, hydrated copper and aluminum phosphate [CuAl6(PO4)4(OH)8·4H2O] that is extensively used as a gemstone.......
tutu
tutu, standard skirt worn by female ballet dancers, consisting of four or five layers of silk or nylon frills;......
twill
twill, one of the three basic textile weaves, producing a fabric with a diagonal rib, ridge, or wale. In regular......
Uccello, Paolo
Paolo Uccello was a Florentine painter whose work attempted uniquely to reconcile two distinct artistic stylesâthe......
umbrella
umbrella, a portable, hand-held device that is used for protection against rain and sunlight. The modern umbrella......
uncial
uncial, in calligraphy, ancient majuscular book hand characterized by simple, rounded strokes. It apparently originated......
upholstery
upholstery, materials used in the craft of covering, padding, and stuffing seating and bedding. The earliest upholsterers,......
Uralian emerald
Uralian emerald, yellowish green or emerald-green andradite, a variety of garnet, not emerald. See...
Urbino majolica
Urbino majolica, Italian tin-glazed earthenware made in the city of Urbino, which from about 1520 dominated the......
Ushak carpet
Ushak carpet, floor covering handwoven in the city of UĆak (Ushak), Turkey. By the 16th century the principal manufacture......
Valenciennes lace
Valenciennes lace, one of the most famous of bobbin laces, first made in the French city of Valenciennes, Nord......
Vargueno
Vargueno, wooden cabinet of mixed Spanish and Oriental origin that first appeared in Europe in the late Middle......
vase carpet
vase carpet, any of the most widely known group of floor coverings among the âclassicâ KermÄns of the 16th and......
VasĂlikĂ ware
VasĂlikĂ ware, elaborately shaped handmade pottery from VasĂlikĂ, eastern Crete, produced in the second phase of......
Velde, Henry van de
Henry van de Velde was a Belgian architect and teacher who ranks with his compatriot Victor Horta as an originator......
velvet
velvet, in textiles, fabric having a short, dense pile, used in clothing and upholstery. The term derives from......
velveteen
velveteen, in textiles, fabric with a short, dense pile surface and a smooth back, usually made of cotton and resembling......
Veneer
Veneer, extremely thin sheet of rich-coloured wood (such as mahogany, ebony, or rosewood) or precious materials......
Venetian glass
Venetian glass, variety of glasswares made in Venice from the 13th century, at the latest, to the present. Although......
Venetian needle lace
Venetian needle lace, Venetian lace made with a needle from the 16th to the 19th century. Early examples were deep,......
Venice majolica
Venice majolica, tin-glazed earthenware made at Venice that reached its stylistic zenith in the 16th century. The......
Venini, Paolo
Paolo Venini was an Italian glassmaker and designer and manufacturer of glassware, whose works are outstanding......
ventifact
ventifact, stone that has received one or more highly polished, flattened facets as a result of erosion by windblown......
verdure tapestry
verdure tapestry, type of tapestry decorated with a design based on plant forms. It is not known exactly when the......
Verneuil process
Verneuil process, method for producing synthetic rubies and sapphires. Originally developed (1902) by a French......
vernis Martin
vernis Martin, lustrous lacquer substitute widely used in the 18th century to decorate furniture and such personal......
verné rug
verné rug, handmade Caucasian floor covering that was formerly termed a sileh. It is usually woven in two pieces......
verre églomisé
verre Ă©glomisĂ©, (French: âGlomyized glassâ), glass engraved on the back that has been covered by unfired painting......
Versace, Gianni
Gianni Versace was an Italian fashion designer and founder of the fashion label Versace. His designs were known......
Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum, British museum that is generally regarded as the worldâs leading institution on art......
Vienna porcelain
Vienna porcelain, ceramic ware made at the Vienna factory in Austria between 1719 and 1864. Claudius Innocentius......
Vile, William
William Vile was an English cabinetmaker of the 18th century. Vile was long overshadowed by his business neighbour......
vinaigrette
vinaigrette, small metal perfume container usually made of gold or silver and containing a pierced metal tray beneath......
Vincennes ware
Vincennes ware, pottery made at Vincennes, near Paris, from c. 1738, when the factory was probably founded by Robert......
Voysey, Charles Francis Annesley
Charles Francis Annesley Voysey was a British architect and designer whose work was influential in Europe between......
Vuitton, Louis
Louis Vuitton was a French box maker and entrepreneur who founded his namesake brand of luxury trunks and luggage......
Vyala
Vyala, popular motif in Indian art, consisting of a composite leonine creature with the head of a tiger, elephant,......
Wainscot
Wainscot, interior paneling in general and, more specifically, paneling that covers only the lower portion of an......
Wainscot chair
Wainscot chair, chair, usually made of oak, and named for the fine grade of oak usually used for wainscot paneling.......
Walker, Sir Emery
Sir Emery Walker was an engraver and printer associated with the revival of fine printing in England in the late......
Wallpaper
Wallpaper, ornamental and utilitarian covering for walls made from long sheets of paper that have been stenciled,......
Wampum
Wampum, tubular shell beads that have been assembled into strings or woven into belts or embroidered ornaments,......
Warbonnet
Warbonnet, eagle-feather headdress worn by some members of the Indigenous peoples of the Great Plains as indicators......
Wardrobe
Wardrobe, in furniture, a large cupboard, usually equipped with drawers, a mirror, and other devices, used for......
Washstand
Washstand, from the beginning of the 19th century until well into the 20th, an essential piece of bedroom furniture.......
watch fob
watch fob, short ribbon or chain attached to a watch and hanging out of the pocket in which the watch is kept;......
Waterford glass
Waterford glass, heavy cut glassware produced in Waterford, Ire., from 1729. Waterford glass, particularly the......
weaving
weaving, production of fabric by interlacing two sets of yarns so that they cross each other, normally at right......
Webb, Philip Speakman
Philip Speakman Webb was an architect and designer especially known for his unconventional country houses, who......
Webster, Marie
Marie Webster was an American quilt designer and historian, author of the first book entirely devoted to American......
Wedgwood ware
Wedgwood ware, English stoneware, including creamware, black basaltes, and jasperware, made by the Staffordshire......
Wedgwood, Josiah
Josiah Wedgwood was an English pottery designer and manufacturer, outstanding in his scientific approach to pottery......
Weisweiler, Adam
Adam Weisweiler was one of the foremost cabinetmakers of the Louis XVI period, whose works were commissioned by......
Westerwald stoneware
Westerwald stoneware, salt-glazed stoneware produced in German towns such as Höhr, Grenzau, and Grenzhausen in......
Weâwha
Weâwha was a potter, textile artist, weaver, spiritual leader, and A:Shiwi (Zuni) cultural ambassador who is perhaps......
What Is Mid-Century Modern Design?
The term âmid-century modernâ is often said to have been coined by author Cara Greenberg for the title of her 1984......
What is the difference between silk and satin?
The terms silk and satin are often used to describe fabrics, and though the fabrics can be distinct from one another,......
Whatnot
Whatnot, series of open shelves supported by two or four upright posts. The passion for collecting and displaying......
Whatâs the difference between couture and ready-to-wear?
Although the terms couture and ready-to-wear are sometimes used loosely, they refer to two different approaches......
Whatâs the difference between jeans and denim?
The terms jeans and denim are often used interchangeably, but, strictly speaking, jeans refers to the garment and......
wheelchair
wheelchair, any seating surface (e.g., a chair) that has wheels affixed to it in order to help an individual move......
When did women start wearing pants?
In some cultures, pants have been common garments worn by women for centuries or millennia. This was not the case......
whimsey glass
whimsey glass, glass with no utilitarian purpose, executed to satisfy the whim of the glassmaker. Such offhand......
whiteware
whiteware, any of a broad class of ceramic products that are white to off-white in appearance and frequently contain......
Whitework
Whitework, embroidery worked in white thread on white material, originated in India and China and popular in the......
Why Are Iranian Protesters Using the Prerevolution Lion and Sun Flag?
By early January 2026 Iran was engulfed in protests that had erupted across all 31 provinces. Largely driven by......
Why Did We Start Wearing Makeup?
Hereâs a question for makeup users and nonusers alike: Would you believe that philosophers once determined makeup......
Why Do Brides Wear White?
In many societies the color white has long been associated with purity and virtue, and that is one reason why some......
Why Do Jeans Have That Tiny Pocket?
Coins? Matches? Lipstick? Flash drives? Gold nuggets? The tiny pocket on jeans likely has been used for all of......
Why Do We Carve Pumpkins at Halloween?
The jack-oâ-lantern has a long history with Halloween, although our favorite demonic faces havenât always been......
Why Do We Say âA Pair of Pantsâ?
Ask anyone who is learning English as a second language what they think the most-maddening oddity of the language......
Why is the U.S. flag red, white, and blue?
The red, white, and blue used in the U.S. flag are deeply linked to the countryâs historical ties with Britain.......
Wickerwork
Wickerwork, furniture or other work consisting of interlaced pliable twigs or branches. Practiced for thousands......