The Decorative Arts Collection includes over 17,000 pieces and, alongside the Graphics Collection, is the oldest collection of the Museum für Gestaltung Zürich, as well as one of the most important collections of international applied art in Switzerland. Originally conceived as a collection of models and examples for education, trade and industry, the collection focuses on the 19th and 20th centuries. Individual areas such as Coptic and old Peruvian textiles stretch far back into the past, while others reach into the present. The diverse profile traces the artistic processing of glass, ceramics, metal, wood, and textiles and concentrates mainly on Europe. Outstanding examples from the USA and Japan can be found in the field of tapestries and textile sculptures. The Art Nouveau section has groups of works by William Morris, Emile Gallé, René Lalique, Hermann Obrist, and Henry van de Velde, and enjoys an international reputation. Among the finest items are a unique collection of puppets by twentieth-century artists such as Sophie Taeuber-Arp and an important musical instrument collection of some 250 objects.