Decorative Arts and Design

Brooklyn Museum, 200 Eastern Pkwy, 11238, New York City

February 27, 2026 – December 31, 2027

From ornate parlors to copper cufflinks, from 1850s Gothic Revival to cutting-edge contemporary design, from Burkina Faso to Turin to Saratoga Springs: The Decorative Arts and Design galleries reveal the breadth of this remarkable collection. Featuring more than 150 objects, this installation investigates key questions surrounding design and decorative arts: Are there differences between handmade and industrially produced works? What constitutes "craft" or "design"? The galleries celebrate a dazzling array of objects encompassing Period Rooms with lavish furnishings, Art Deco cabinets, Italian plywood furniture, midcentury jewelry, and Machine Age appliances. Visitors follow shifting design movements—the Aesthetic movement's advocacy for beauty in the home, the Arts and Crafts movement's counter to industrialization, and plywood's role in affordable design—offering a rich history of decorative arts spanning centuries of global innovation.