Jason T. Busch exudes a Gene Kelly-esque exuberance as he glides past the porcelain, furniture, art glass and sculptures in Carnegie Museum's decorative arts galleries, which reopen Saturday.

Since arriving at Carnegie Museum of Art in 2006, the Cleveland native has familiarized himself with 6,855 objects, installed new climate-controlled storage space, designed a new exhibition, overseen the renovation of the four Ailsa Mellon Bruce galleries and put together a catalog that showcases 250 select pieces from the collection.

Renovations included demolishing a wall and erecting a new one with built-in, lighted display cases. Hardwood floors were refinished, new overhead lighting was installed and the walls painted a slate blue. Overall, the effect is light and crisp. Visitors can see what's ahead and also look back, a useful visual approach that allows a keener appreciation for the evolution of decorative styles.

The galleries were part of four grand halls built by Andrew Carnegie and initially housed reproduction bronzes. The museum's decorative arts section was established in 1953. Decorative arts became a separate department in 1976, the year the Ailsa Mellon Bruce Galleries opened. When the galleries closed in the late 1990s, they had been used as storage space for nearly a decade.

One of the first objects visitors see is a gleaming, textured example of storytelling called the Tennyson Vase. Nearly 4 feet tall, the 19th-century silver urn's one side thunders with a battle fought by the mythical King Arthur. On the other, the great hero is borne on a boat to the afterlife.

Two popular poems by Al- fred Lord Tennyson, "Morte d'Arthur" and "Guinevere," inspired British sculptor Henry Hugh Armstead to adorn the vase's handles with fully sculpted figures of Merlin and Queen Guinevere.

Armstead, whose best known sculpture is the Prince Albert memorial in London, shows his technical virtuosity in casting, hammering, chasing, repousse and electro-plating.

"It was exhibited at the 1867 World's Fair in Paris. We can imagine Queen Victoria running her hands over it. It's really an homage to British imperialism," Busch said.

Each figure was hand-hammered and the knights' silver chain mail was applied line by line. When Queen Victoria celebrated 50 years on the throne in 1887, a royal coat of arms was added because the vase became the prize cup for the royal Ascot horse races. The winning horse, fittingly, was named Minting.

Dr. Henry Gailliot, chair of the Carnegie's collections committee, was with Busch when the vase was acquired in London in 2007.

"Arthurian legends in imperial England were very popular and fit the idea of the sun never setting" on the British empire. "It's certainly the greatest example of 19th-century European silver in an American museum," he said.

On the other side of the gallery, set atop a pedestal, is Samuel Gragg's fully elastic armchair, made around 1810 of white oak, soft maple and hickory. Gragg trained as a maker of Windsor chairs in Boston, and his exposure to shipbuilding taught him to use steam to bend wood. His chair, which conforms beautifully to the shape of the human body, anticipates bentwood and laminated wooden designs created in the 20th century by Marcel Breuer, Charles and Ray Eames and Frank Gehry.

This first gallery, which will be devoted to changing exhibits, features Meissen porcelain that belonged to Bruce. Much of her Meissen Swan service is carefully arranged on a wall and inside cabinets, the way it would have been displayed in a chateau.

Arrayed on the opposite wall and hung at various levels are 36 chairs of every imaginable style and color. Initially, the effect of seeing so many chairs in one place is a bit jarring but it's a chance to compare designs while seeing the evolution of this essential piece of furniture. A standout is the red side chair made of gilded maple with mother-of-pearl inlay and silk. It was made in 1882 by Christian Herter.

The second gallery features mid-18th- to 20th-century pieces that are rococo or represent Pennsylvania furniture tradition. In one individual display case are eye-popping blue porcelain flower vases made at the Vincennes Manufactory outside Paris.

The Carnegie Museum of Art, Busch said, does not do period rooms. But for the first time, visitors will see gilded and painted furniture used in the Greco-Roman room at PicNic, the Stanton Heights mansion that belonged to the local Croghan and Schenley families.

Set against green walls, the recently conserved chairs and couches are exhibited in a space that is nearly the length, width and height of the room they once occupied. This is such formal furniture that you can easily picture perfectly dressed debutantes and society matrons sitting on it. The Carnegie acquired it because Andrew Carnegie served as executor of the estate of Mary Croghan Schenley, whose portrait hangs nearby.

The third gallery showcases Gothic revival, rococo revival, neoclassical, art deco and Bauhaus designs. In a case devoted to objects exhibited at World's Fairs is a wonderful cup made of agate with enameled and gilded brass that was created in 1867 by the Frenchman Charles Duron.

The last gallery is filled with light because its large windows face Forbes Avenue. Devoted to contemporary design and craft, it includes Paul Frankl's skyscraper desk and bookcase made in 1927. There's also an unusual chest of drawers called "You Can't Lay Down Your Memories" that was designed by artist Tejo Remy in 1991.

American studio art glass is represented by the work of Harvey Littleton, who inspired a generation of artisans and encouraged colleges to set up glass-blowing studios. He's represented with a piece called "Blue/Lemon Sliced Descending Form." Another leader and inspiring teacher in the studio glass movement, Lino Tagliapietra of Italy, is represented by an elegant dinosaur.

In this gallery, luminous work is not confined to glass. What some artisans achieved with that medium, Ron Kent accomplished by designing an amazing bowl from Norfolk Island pine.

Looking for more from the Post-Gazette? Join PG+, our members-only web site. You'll get exclusive sports content, opinion, financial information, discounts from retailers and restaurants, and more. Our introduction to PG+ gives you all the details.