Decorative Arts
From a 15th-century Flemish tapestry of Queen Semiramis to contemporary craft from Hawaiʻi and California, the Honolulu Museum of Art’s more than 1,200 decorative arts objects span the globe and the museum’s collections. Architectural features and furnishings, including ceramics, silver, glassware, and lighting, date from the 5th century onwards and furniture from Asia, Oceania, Europe, and North America date from the 14th to the 20th century.
Highlights from the collection
Reef
Dale Chihuly (American, born 1941). 2001. Blown glass. Gift of Maggie and David Cole, 2001 (9507.1)
Écuelle (Covered Soup Tureen) and Stand
Vincennes Porcelain Factory (French, established 1740). c. 1750. Soft-paste porcelain; overglaze enamel decoration, gilding. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Christian H. Aall, 1987 (5623.1a-c)
Les Sauvages de la Mer Pacifique
Jean-Gabriel Charvet (French, 1750–1829). 1804–1805. Block-printed, stencilled, and hand-brushed gouache on paper. Gift of Anna Rice Cooke, 1928 (2692)
Group of Souvenir Spoons
Hawai‘i, c. 1920s–1940s. Silver, gilt. Bequest of Renee Halbedl, 1981 (3.2319)
Miniature Bureau Bookcase
Vizagapatam, India, c. 1770. Wood, ivory veneer, engraved line work. Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Christian H. Aall in honor of Frances Damon Holt, 1998 (8808.1)
Charger from the Imperial Court Service
Attributed to Joseph Zächenberger, Nymphenburg (German, 1732–1802). c. 1760–1765. Hard-paste porcelain; overglaze enamel decoration, gilding. Gift of Mrs. Harrison Cooke, 1986 (5459.1)
Tall Clock with Moon Phase Attachment
Simon Willard (American, 1753–1848). c. 1795. Mahogany with dark and light wood inlays, chestnut, white pine, brass fittings. Gift of Mrs. Mary Ann Burgess McCrea in memory of Stanley Barrows McCrea, 1981 (4993.1)
Shepherd
Meissen Porcelain Factory (German). c. 1750–1760. Hard-paste porcelain with gilding. Gift of Margaret Carroll Gray, 1980 (4876.1)
Covered Box
Japanese, 16th century. Lacquered wood, gold. Purchase, Marjorie Lewis Griffing Fund, 1980 (4842.1)
LCW Chair Designed
Charles Eames (American, 1907–1978). 1945–46 Molded plywood, teakwood veneer, rubber shock-mounts. Gift of Mrs. Sumiye Yoshioka, 1976 (4410.1)
Coffee Server
Rowland Morita (American, born 1953). 1975. Silver, wood. Purchase, Artists of Hawaiʻi Fund, 1975 (4355.1)
Glazed Plate with Tulip Decoration
Turkish, 17th century. Glazed stoneware. Purchase, 1963 (3136.1)
Footed Cube
Otto Natzler (American, born Austria, 1908–2007). 1978. Glazed ceramic Gift of The Contemporary Museum, Honolulu, 2011, and gift of Mr. and Mrs. Edward H. Nakamura (TCM.1997.23)
Queen Semiramis with Attendants
Flemish, c. 1480. Wool and silk tapestry. Gift of the Charles M. and Anna C. Cooke Trust, 1946 (325.1)