Framing My Research: Mary Lizzie Macomber and the British Pre-Raphaelites
by Fiona Owens When I first examined Saint Catharine (1896, figure 1) by Mary Lizzie Macomber (1861–1916) at the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA Boston), I was struck not only by the beauty of the painting, but by its frame, how the water gilding, applied directly...
Journey Into Medium: Mother-of-Pearl and the Hidden European Enlightenment
by Emma Piercy-Wright As vibrant as the multi-hued windfalls of a New England autumn, mother-of-pearl (or nacre) is the concealed, autonomously generated inner layer of some bivalve molluscs and snails, whose shimmering, shifting beams simultaneously perplex and...
Woven Riches: Gold-Wrapped Threads in 15th- and 16th-Century Italy
by Kathryn Griffith Gleaming, lustrous, splendid…few materials have captivated artisans, patrons, and beholders across time and geographies as gold has. My dissertation examines the transformations of gold in Italy throughout the 15th and 16th centuries, when this...
Investigating the Transatlantic Journeys of Emile Peyre’s Collection
by Servane Rodié-Dumon My research examines the formation and dispersal of Emile Peyre’s collection of decorative arts. A renowned French architect-decorator, Peyre (1828–1904) assembled more than 4,000 objects, including furniture, tapestries, sculptures,...
Exploring America’s Beginnings in New York City
Our New York Antiques Weekend program in January 2026 delved into themes tied to the United States’s Semiquincentennial by visiting historic sites with pre-Revolutionary roots. A Revolutionary Friday On Friday, January 23, members gathered for a tour of Trinity Church...
About The Decorative Arts Trust Bulletin
Formerly known as the "blog,” the Bulletin features new research and scholarship, travelogues, book reviews, and museum and gallery exhibitions. The Bulletin complements The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust, our biannual members publication.