Art Deco

Art Deco was a widespread design movement of the 1920s and 1930s. It is easily recognised due to its bold lines. Art Deco was a radical departure from previous design styles; designs were bold, geometric, often colourful, geometric and streamlined. Paradoxically, Art Deco was considered modern and functional, with simplified materials and lines, and yet it was also very extravagant, bold and large in scope. Art Deco permeated every field of design, from art and architecture to jewellery, fashion and transportation. The movement was international.

For a while, Art Deco was considered chic, ultra-modern and elegant, but it lost steam rapidly and by the time of the Second World War and its ensuring hardships, it was considered gaudy and extravagant.

Interest in the styles of Art Deco revived late in the 20th Century, probably as a result of the growth of scholarship in the fields of design. Decorative arts of Art Deco design are of great interest to collectors today.