Mantle Decoration

[egodge]

Hi all, haven't posted on here in a while but was wondering if anyone could help me with a question. I've been exploring a disused cottage over the last couple of months by permission of the owner for my dissertation, and in one of the downstairs rooms the mantle has a decorative piece of cloth pinned to it - as in pinned in place properly rather than tacked - and I wanted to know whether anyone has seen anything like it much before? It's not a heavy piece of cloth, although it looks it, it's maybe more medium - I wouldn't call it light. If anyone has any ideas about when it was popular - if it ever was - or has seen it in other buildings - I would be very interested to hear. Also if anyone knows any references for where I could find out more about the style - I've done a small bit of research but not as much as I intend to do as yet. I'll attatch a photograph below shortly - any comments would be greatly appreciated - many thanks

 

[egodge]

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[egodge]

 

[egodge]

 

[egodge]

The fabric only covers the front of the mantle - the top surface is wood. There is a vague pattern painted on the wood which would have originally been the decoration, however it appears that the fabric was put over to smarten it up (personally speaking I think the fabric looks better). When I first saw it I thought it looked an incredibly risky thing to do, seeing as it was over a fireplace, but perhaps it was a fashion and is not quite so risky? Any thoughts will be greatly appreciated, many thanks, egode

 

[UrbanX]

I'd call it a 'Valance'?
It does seem risky, I wonder if the fireplace was out of use when it was added?

 

[The Archivist]

It's a sort of mantel pelmet I think. They were popular in the c19th and early c20th along with mantel runners, but I have a modernish one on the front of my bookcase (no fireplace, unfortunately). Not particularly risky as long as the fire is well-built and looked after.

 

[gerwyn42]

Archivist, such decorations were common in the Victorian era. Interestingly, from what I can see of the fire surround it looks marble (or pretend marble), is the mantel shelf also marble or is it wood? It might be that the mantel pelmet was added to disguise the fact the mantel didn't match the rest of the surround.

 

[flyboys90]

If memory serves me right my grandmother had something very similar in her living room with Berlin woolwork as well and that would have be in the late 40s early 50s its only purpose was decoration.I guess it must have been a good few years old then.

 

[egodge]

The fire surround is timber - the inner bit being made of metal - I'm not an expert but I assume cast iron would be used for such things? That's an interesting point, Urban X - the upstairs fireplace has been blocked off at somepoint and wallpapered over - however if this decoration has been seen on other fireplaces perhaps it was still in use? Archivist, gerwyn42 and flyboy - I've been told similar things about the date but I'm not really sure about where to look for references - haven't found anything online but perhaps a book on fireplace decoration from the era may help. Gerwyn, the timber is painted black with a faded green leaf pattern - I personally don't think it's a particularly attractive pattern so perhaps the fabric was put there to hide that and smarten up the room a bit? A couple of people I've spoken to have said they'd seen it before but I wanted to find out if it was a bit more widespread - like a fashion rather than a one-off thing. Thank you all for your comments - they are all helpful - does anyone have any idea about wher I could look for book/internet references?

 

[Paulytwotanks]

Found this on ebay. It's a different style but similar proportions....

http://www.ebay.com/itm/ANTIQUE-VIC...1?pt=UK_Antiques_Other_RL&hash=item35d9971ab3

(Follow link or copy and paste this into your browser, not google). May be wrong era but could give a clue. Fireplace is mid-late victorian but pre 1900. ( You can tell because the heavy decoration is pre-Edwardian). But the pelmet could well be later. Unlikely to be after 1910 though. Good luck! Oh - the decorative upholstery tacks used to secure it are very distinctive. Maybe research these?

 

[egodge]

Thankyou Paulytwotanks - seen that one before!!!!! Hadn't though about looking up the tacks though - I'll see what I can find - thanks

 

[flyboys90]

The fire surround is timber - the inner bit being made of metal - I'm not an expert but I assume cast iron would be used for such things? That's an interesting point, Urban X - the upstairs fireplace has been blocked off at somepoint and wallpapered over - however if this decoration has been seen on other fireplaces perhaps it was still in use? Archivist, gerwyn42 and flyboy - I've been told similar things about the date but I'm not really sure about where to look for references - haven't found anything online but perhaps a book on fireplace decoration from the era may help. Gerwyn, the timber is painted black with a faded green leaf pattern - I personally don't think it's a particularly attractive pattern so perhaps the fabric was put there to hide that and smarten up the room a bit? A couple of people I've spoken to have said they'd seen it before but I wanted to find out if it was a bit more widespread - like a fashion rather than a one-off thing. Thank you all for your comments - they are all helpful - does anyone have any idea about wher I could look for book/internet references?

Fire surrounds came in various materials including Cast Iron,Marble,Slate,Stone and Wood.I think the plain thin wood examples would have been the most inexpensive and marble been the most expensive, one book I have found " The Book of English Fireplaces" by Alison Kelly published in 1968 by Country Life [it does not have an ISBN] this covers the more grander types but looking at your type I think if you can get access to photos of the interiors of inexpensive housing ie terraced or farm workers 1900-1920 you,ll find an answer.Regarding the decorative tacks I agree with Paulytwotanks a bit of research should reap rewards as that style of tack and similar were in widespread use at the turn of the century.Hope this helps.

 

[Dirus_Strictus]

The article in question is hand embroidered to a design registered in 1910 or 1913, but as the designs were still available in 1920's/30's embroidery shops it is therefore impossible to date accurately. Things like this were popular with ladies in the period 1900 - 1930 as needlework projects and anybody of my age will recollect going to the houses of aged aunts and seeing the fireplaces festooned with needlework like this.

As for the upholstery pins - you could buy things like this from any old, well established ironmongers well into the 1960's. My home town had one such establishment, when it finally closed it still had cwts of very old stock - drugget pins, brass handles, castors and even hand cut nails - that the local furniture restorers fought over.