My mother is on the Board of the National Society of Decorative
Painters, so I asked her for a definition of decorative painting.  This
is what she had to say:

Decorative art as defined by the Society of Decorative Painters is the
art of
decorative painting on functional objects.  Decorative arts is the
generic
name given to those decorative items which have a function(s) other than
pure
esthetics - i.e.: furniture, tableware, containers, flatware,
accessories such
as pillows, draperies, lamps, etc.

I hope this helps.

Tricia Edwards, Education Manager
Delaware Museum of Natural History
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(302)658-9111 x 324
(302)658-2610 fax