decorative art

American  

noun

1. art that is meant to be useful as well as beautiful, as ceramics, furniture, jewelry, and textiles.

2. Usually decorative arts. any of the arts, as ceramics or jewelry making, whose works are created to be useful.

3. works of decorative art collectively.

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Etymology

Origin of decorative art

First recorded in 1850–55

Example Sentences

Prints, paintings and works of decorative art document the philosophies, pivotal events and major figures of the time, from the Boston Massacre and Paul Revere to indigenous conflicts and George Washington.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 18, 2026

This 23-story building’s exterior is decorated and capped with stylized floral ornament borrowed from contemporary French decorative art.

From Seattle Times • Jun. 3, 2023

In each of the 65 episodes, a Frick curator offers insights on a work of art in the museum’s collection — a painting, sculpture or decorative art — as well as a related cocktail.

From New York Times • Oct. 21, 2022

‘Kumihimo: The Art of Japanese Silk Braiding by Domyo’ The history of this decorative art, which dates to the sixth century, is traced in this exhibit on view Dec. 11 through March 6.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 1, 2021

It exhibits, in the first case, the ankh sign combined with the flower=ankh, which might, at a first glance, be taken as an example of purely decorative art.

From The Fundamental Principles of Old and New World Civilizations by Nuttall, Zelia