An illustrated directory of ceramics and textile artists in the New York City area in 1957.

Woodblock printing, an ancient craft, rose to its greatest heights in Japan during the period from the mid-seventeenth to the mid-nineteenth centuries.

A collection of several hand-drawn alphabets, recreated one per page.

In the days before photographs, detailed fashion illustrations were used to portray trends in various periodicals.

In its early history as a costume accessory in the East and later in the West, the fan served as a symbol of rank or status held only in the hands of the rich and powerful.

Designers and craftsmen in the precious metals have traditionally held a distinguished place in the history of design and decorative arts.

While video technology allows us to document theater more easily today, the only visual hint we have of theater in previous times is through designs for theater architecture, costumes and sets.

Nearly all cultures from prehistoric times to the present have produced some form of pottery.

A sampling of the many hundreds of embroidered items in the Cooper Hewitt collection.