Decorative Arts and Design

Purview

By definition, Decorative Arts and Design focuses on objects meant for domestic use. This includes furniture, ceramics and dishes, toys, lighting and appliances, wallpaper and textiles, jewelry, and beyond. Like many large institutions, the Brooklyn Museum is also home to entire rooms—referred to as period rooms—that present a more complete snapshot of home life throughout history.

Our Decorative Arts and Design collection includes contemporary domestic wares from around the world and older examples from Europe and the United States. Ancient and historical non-Western examples of furniture and ceramics can be found in their respective collections: Arts of Africa, Arts of the Americas, Arts of the Islamic World, Arts of Asia, and Egyptian, Classical, and Ancient Near Eastern Art.

History

The Brooklyn Institute, a precursor to the Brooklyn Museum, began collecting examples of domestic design in the early 20th century. European porcelain and tableware entered the collection as early as 1902. Furniture came soon after and, by 1915, the Museum had acquired American period rooms and historic houses. Our earliest acquisitions were historical, most dating to the 18th century and into the early 19th century. Representing life in the early years of the United States was of particular interest.

In the first decades of the 1900s, the Museum also began exhibiting contemporary design and established a costume collection to provide inspiration and resources for working designers in the New York City area. Starting in 1948, the Museum’s Edward C. Blum Design Lab influenced fashion designers and manufacturers by making costume and textile works available for research. The costume collection was transferred to the Metropolitan Museum of Art in 2009; it is now integrated into the Met’s Costume Institute.

Today, the Brooklyn Museum’s Decorative Arts and Design department continues to prioritize American design from the 19th century on, as well as contemporary works from around the globe. At every turn, we reassess and critically reinterpret the collection by delving into the Museum’s long history and how our own practices have changed over time.