decorative art

noun

: art that is concerned primarily with the creation of useful items (such as furniture, ceramics, or textiles)

—usually used in plural

: objects of decorative art

Examples of decorative art in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Sotheby’s has been consigned a large collection of Old Master paintings, sculptures, English furniture and other decorative art objects from the collection of Aso O. Tavitian. —

Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2024 Design teams also harness traditional decorative arts techniques to magnify the tensions of establishing a home in the U.S. —

Jacoba Urist, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 Nov. 2024 Buyers were more partial to surreal, sometimes whimsical objects that blurred the line between the fine and decorative arts. —

Julia Halperin, New York Times, 24 Nov. 2024 Tavitian’s collection of decorative arts, including all of his English furniture, didn’t go to the Clark. —

Karen K. Ho, ARTnews.com, 4 Nov. 2024 See all Example Sentences for decorative art

Word History

First Known Use

1853, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler

The first known use of decorative art was in 1853

See more words from the same year

Cite this Entry

Style

“Decorative art.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/decorative%20art. Accessed 30 Dec. 2024.

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