The Chess Piece that Wasn’t: A Material Re-Assessment
by Ariana Pemberton The game of chess reflects histories of transregional material exchange as much as it does the skills of statecraft and strategies of war. As the game was brought from South Asia to West Asia as early as the 6th century CE and into Europe by the...
Read Summer 2025 Magazine Articles Online
Enjoy select articles from the summer 2025 issue of The Magazine of the Decorative Arts Trust online! Although the printed magazine is only sent to our members, these selections are now available to enjoy on our website: “Time Travel in the Thames Valley: Ham House...
Textile Training in the Late 19th Century: English Influence on The Philadelphia Textile School
by Anastatia Spicer With the assistance of a Decorative Arts Trust Research Grant, I conducted object-based and archival research for my MA thesis on looms used in textiles manufacturing schools at the end of the 19th century. My thesis focuses on the founding of...
Examining the Life and Legacy of Skilled Joiner John Hemmings at Monticello Through Material Culture
by Molly Martien Thanks to a Decorative Arts Trust Research Grant, I had the good fortune of traveling to Charlottesville, VA, to visit Monticello and The Albert and Shirley Small Special Collections Library at the University of Virginia. In this project I set out...
2025 Research Grant Recipients
In 2025, the Decorative Arts Trust celebrates another record-breaking year for our Research Grants program, with 16 recipients receiving travel funding to study objects and archival records. The Trust congratulates the 2025 Research Grant recipients: Carson L....
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.