Antique Beadwork Needlepoint Face Screens~A Pair on Stands

Antiques : Textiles : Beaded Needlepoint : Victorian Face Screens

 

Stunning Beadwork Victorian Needlepoint Face Screens, a Pair on Stands~~ Adorned with white lilies in beadwork and pale roses in needlepoint, they are an enchanting reminder of the past. Standing tall on gilt and white metal stands, just shy of 21 inches.

Flowers adorned almost everything during the Victorian Era…..hair, jewelry, and many decorative items for the home. Victorians communicated unspoken messages through the use of flowers flowers and floral arrangements. Floriography, or "the language of flowers" assigned various meanings to flowers and floral arraignments. The flower allowed the Victorians to express feelings which could not be spoken. Calla Lilies were used to represent "beauty" .....a nice description for the pair.

They are in quite good condition and display beautifully. The red silk backs are still intact and they retain most of the original fringe and trim.

The original purpose was to shield a ladies face and protect her make-up from the warmth of a fire, and most proper Victorian homes displayed them near or on the mantle. Design possibilities are endless for these 19th. Century face screens.

The stands may not be original to the screens. There is an extra round holder at each end of these stands/poles. The tassels may have been attached to the extra holder and would look quite fine now with a slip of needle and thread through the holder to hold them in place. These may be the original stands however; I would prefer to point out the extra holder.

English 19th. C

Measurements: 20 1/2" or 52cm tall, width (from final to final) 9 1/2" or 24,2cm

Condition: Very good, I see no missing beads or stitches. The background has some staining; please remember they were originally used by fireplaces.

One section of trim is loose and some areas of fringe have been lost through the years. The bases have several dents shown in the pictures.

Item ID: 066-0263