The so-called decorative arts--the furniture, housewares, and ornamentation people use in the places where they live--can tell you a lot about a society and what its people hold most dear. In this volume, we look at cultures and design styles and trends around the globe, from ancient times to the present. For example, did you know that the Arts and Crafts movement in the United States was as much a political statement as a design theme? Are you aware of the different Native American influences on American contemporary design, or the effect colonialism has had in decorative arts from Asia to South America? Do you know what culture developed virtually all of the basic ceramic techniques, so much so that their name has become synonymous with fine porcelain? In this book you will learn about all these issues, and so much more.