History of Design: Decorative Arts and Material Culture, 1400-2000 (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780300196146)

A survey of spectacular breadth, covering the history of decorative arts and design worldwide over the past six hundred years

Spanning six centuries of global design, this far-reaching survey is the first to offer an account of the vast history of decorative arts and design produced in Africa, the Americas, Asia, Europe, the Indian subcontinent, and the Islamic world, from 1400 to the present. Meticulously documented and lavishly illustrated, the volume covers interiors, furniture, textiles and dress, glass, graphics, metalwork, ceramics, exhibitions, product design, landscape and garden design, and theater and film design. Divided into four chronological sections, each of which is subdivided geographically, the authors elucidate the evolution of style, form, materials, and techniques, and address vital issues such as gender, race, patronage, cultural appropriation, continuity versus innovation, and high versus low culture.

Leading authorities in design history and decorative arts studies present hundreds of objects in their contemporary contexts, demonstrating the overwhelming extent to which the applied arts have enriched customs, ceremony, and daily life worldwide over the past six hundred years. This ambitious, landmark publication is essential reading, contributing a definitive classic to the existing scholarship on design, decorative arts, and material culture, while also introducing these subjects to new readers in a comprehensive, erudite book with widespread appeal.

Distributed for the Bard Graduate Center

Author: Pat Kirkham
ISBN-10: 0300196148
ISBN-13: 9780300196146
Publisher: Bard Graduate Center
Language: English
Published: 12/10/2013
Pages: 712
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 6.83lbs
Size: 12.10h x 9.99w x 1.53d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 02/15/2014 pg. 102
Choice 06/01/2014