Introduction to the Applied Art Collections
Applied art is a term that not all people will be familiar with, some museums call this part of the collection decorative arts or crafts. We use the term ‘applied art’ because not only do we have beautiful objects that have been designed for functional use such as tea pots and drinking glasses, but the Ulster Museum also has sculptural artworks made in materials that would not be associated with Fine Art.
The applied art collections, which comprise ceramics, glass, silver and metalwork, furniture and wood, costume and textiles, and jewellery has two areas of particular strength, namely the 18th century and the contemporary period.
The historic collections are of predominantly Irish material, and the contemporary are international in scope.