Description: A survey of spectacular breadth, covering the history of decorative arts and design worldwide over the past six hundred years
Review Quotes: "Scholarly yet generally readable, close attention is paid to the style, form, materials, and techniques associated with interiors, furniture, textiles and dress, glass, and so on. Exhaustive--not exhausting. Rather like walking through the front door of an imaginary museum of design and letting the artistic wealth of the ages overwhelm."--Norman Weinstein, Designers & Books
"Nearly a decade in the making, History of Design is right for both the design maven and novice. Organized by historical era (1400-1600, e.g.) and by various areas of the world (East Asia, Europe, etc.), this heavyweight is dotted with gorgeous images. The knowledgeable commentary by various design writers lets interested readers delve into the details, but flipping through the book's 700 pages is fun too."--Kirkus Reviews "Whether readers are veteran collectors or novices, this magisterial volume offers them countless examples of the infinite richness that design has brought to daily life in all levels of society. Comprehensive, erudite, and invitingly accessible, the tome is hard to lift, but harder to put down."--The Magazine Antiques