Founded in Brighton in 1975, The Decorative Arts Society encourages and supports the study and appreciation of all aspects of the decorative arts and design from 1850 to the present. In its activities and publications, the DAS embraces the different media on an international basis – furniture, ceramics, glass, metalwork, textiles, jewellery and fashion, as well as architecture, interior and industrial design, and the graphic arts.

Membership is international and is open to all who are interested in any aspect of this vast field. No specialist knowledge is required. Existing members include collectors, dealers, libraries, museum curators, teachers, students, artists and designers, all of whom wish to share their enthusiasm with others.

The DAS’s close links with museum professionals include arranging study visits to collections and offering travel grants for curators and other researchers. Occasional grants are made to help fund museum purchases, and further support to museums is being developed through two curatorial Collections Access Grants. Funds from the Anniversary Fund will help extend this work.

The DAS has an international reputation for its scholarship on the decorative arts, which is disseminated worldwide through the annual Journal.