This book is a straightforward account of how style developed in the decorative arts between 1470 and 1870. It is primarily written for students of design history, to remind them that the history of design is a long one, and to present examples from the vast repertoire of designs that this long history has generated. Anyone working in the field of design can, moreover, borrow examples from this enormous resource at will, either directly to use as models, or indirectly, as a source of inspiration, just as designers have so often done in the past. Because this book is essentially a primer in the subject, it has none of the trappings of scholarly writing, not even footnotes. Dates, on the other hand, loom large, although I have often been content to give the decade when an event took place rather than the precise year. I have also introduced a certain amount of geography into my narrative because I believe it matters.