Lavishly illustrated with new photography,Fringe,Frog and Tassel is the first survey of the history,design and use of trimmings in the historic interiors of Britain and Ireland.Trimmings are often overlooked as mere details of a furnished interior. However,in the past they were seen as vital and costly elements in the decoration of a room. They were used not only on curtains and beds but also on wall hangings,upholstered seat furniture and cushions,providing a visual feast for the eye with their colour and intricate detail. Sometimes more expensive than the rich fabrics they enhanced,trimmings are often the only surviving evidence of a lost decorative scheme,reapplied to replacement textiles or found as fragments in the attic.This book,the first of its kind,traces their history in Britain and Ireland from 1320 to 1970,examining the design and usage of tassels,fringe,braid (woven lace),gimp and cord and their dependence on French fashion. The substantial text links surviving items in historic houses and museums to written evidence,paintings,drawings and other primary sources to provide a firm framework for dating pieces of less-certain provenance. The importance of the'laceman',the maker of these trimmings,is also examined within an economic and social context,together with the relationship to the upholsterer and interior decorator in the creation of a fashionable room.
MEDIA REVIEWS
Publisher: Philip Wilson Publishers LtdISBN: 9781781300756Number of pages: 288Weight: 1762 gDimensions: 280 x 230 mm
MEDIA REVIEWS
an extraordinary work of dedicated scholarship...this book is an essential one for the library of anyone with a serious interest in country-house decoration.Lavishly illustrated,with fascinating tales...(Westman) paints a vivid picture of how trimmings evolved throughout different ages and styles....a triumph of research,textual and visual,with a sustained attention to detail. Richly illustrated and packed with information,it looks set to become the standard text in its field....simultaneously highly erudite and richly luxurious...This is a sumptuous book,which traces the history of trimmings for furnishing and interior decoration in Britain and Ireland,...lavishly illustrated with new colour photography and impregnated with sound scholarship from the leading expert in the field.The book is a physical and beautifully visual distillation of Westman's knowledge,with lavish illustrations,frequently extending over two pages...a glorious,detailed and readable study... an invaluable tool to rediscover lost decoration.An immediate clue to the subject matter of this teasingly titled book is its beautiful presentation: what might be considered a niche topic is here revealed as an essential aspect of interior decoration and for long periods by far the most glamorous and conspicuously expensive... No scholar could be better placed than Annabel Westman to write this book,which is informed by forty years'experience of researching and implementing reinstallations of historic upholstery schemes. It will prove invaluable to a wide readership,including economic and social historians,historians of taste and interior decoration (not only of furniture and upholstery),curators and those engaged in historic reconstructions,as well as designers and decorators seeking inspiration. The book will not be superseded.
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