The elements of design : a practical encyclopedia of the decorative arts from the Renaissance to the present / edited by Noël Riley.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

Renaissance 1400-1600 -- Furniture -- Pottery -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles -- Baroque c. 1600-1730 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles and Wallpaper -- Rococo c. 1715-70 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles and Wallpaper -- Neoclassicism c. 1760-1830 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles and Wallpaper -- Historic Revivals c. 1820-1900 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles -- Wallpaper -- The Aesthetic Movement 1870-90 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Metalwork -- Textiles and Wallpaper -- Arts and Crafts c. 1880-1920 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles and Wallpaper -- Art Nouveau 1890-1914 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles and Wallpaper -- Early Modernism 1900-30 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles -- Art Deco 1910-39 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles -- Mass-Produced Wares and Industrial Design -- Modernism 1920-49 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles -- Industrial Design -- Lighting -- Contemporary c. 1945-60 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles -- Plastics and Appliances -- Space Age 1960-69 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Metalwork -- Fashion and Textiles -- Industrial Design -- Postmodernism 1970-2000 -- Furniture -- Ceramics -- Glass -- Silver and Metalwork -- Textiles and Rugs -- Industrial Design.

The Elements of Design is the definitive visual reference book on design trends in the decorative arts from 1500 to 2000. Thematic chapters dealing with the Baroque, Rococo, Aesthetic Movement, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, and other eras examine the decorative arts tradition in the development of ceramic, glass, silver and metalwork, textile, and furniture design. With more than 3,000 images -- including prints, photographs, and line drawings -- The Elements of Design is an indispensable visual dictionary for collectors, design historians, interior decorators, and designers alike. In the Bestselling Tradition of The Elements of Style, The Elements of Design is a comprehensive visual survey of the design styles that have had the greatest impact on the decorative arts in the Western world. With more than 3,000 prints, photographs, and line drawings, the book covers five centuries of the Western decorative arts tradition, including Renaissance, Baroque, Rococo, Regency, Gothic, Art Nouveau, Art Deco, Modernism, and the Space Age.

The key elements of the Western decorative arts tradition are explored chronologically. Each chapter begins with a broad introduction to the era, summarizing its key style features. Within the chapter there follows close examination of individual objects, including ceramics, glass, silver and metalwork, furniture, and textiles. All the items illustrated form a visual vocabulary of each design movement. The book also includes biographies of innovative designers, information on conservation and maintenance, and a comprehensive glossary of design terms. Compiled by a team of experts under the guidance of design specialists Noel Riley and Patricia Bayer, The Elements of Design is an indispensable reference work for collectors, design historians, interior decorators, set designers, and all those interested in our decorative arts heritage.