The WAG began collecting in the field of decorative arts in the 1950s when it accepted a collection of objects, the bequest of Melanie Bolton-Hill.

Since then, the Gallery has amassed over 4,000 objects in ceramic, glass, metal, and textile, which document and exemplify the aesthetics, techniques, and social import of the decorative arts from the 17th to the 21st centuries. Like painting and sculpture, objects of ceramic, glass, and metal are valuable social documents of their time. Beyond their obvious strong aesthetic qualities, these objects had intimate connections to the daily life of their owners, and to social custom, contemporary taste, class distinction, and fashion.

The strength of the decorative arts collection lies in its holdings of 18th and 19th English ceramics, one of the finest collections in the country. Over 1,500 objects tell the story of the development of the British potteries, the discovery of the porcelain formula, as well as the influence of Chinese patterns on European production.

Glass represents almost 1,000 objects in the decorative arts collection with a highlight being the collection of late 19th century-early 20th century glass donated by Mr. Arthur King of Montreal in 1987 and 1996. Representative of Art Nouveau and Art Deco, and containing work from the recognized glass factories of Gallé, Tiffany, Sabino, Loetz-Witwe, Steuben, Verreries Schneider, and Lalique, this collection surveys early 20th century design movements.

With over 500 works in silver, the WAG's strong collection of both British and Canadian silver, makes it one of the best in Canada. Though not a comprehensive survey of silver-making in those countries, it contains pieces of immense importance and is indicative of the diverse objects and styles popular over some three hundred years. It provides a solid overview of silver-making in these countries. Since the church was an early patron of silversmiths, ecclesiastic plate is a particularly important aspect of the Canadian silver collection. Domestic silver is also much in evidence in the WAG's collection.