Fire Screens (1 results)

Two matching embroidered pole fire screens, oblong octagonals (202 x 290 mm.), sides of silk over thin boards or scaleboards, the decorated side of beige satin silk with a large central flowerpot containing sprigs and a large pink bow within ornate floral border between two white braided thread borders, outermost gilt ribbon border with tiny loops; the designs composed of metallic thread, pink flat sequins, molded white or silvery sequins, and couched gilt leaves: embossed leaves on the plant and flat leaves in the border; the reverse sides covered in plain dark rose silk, contemporary bone and wood handles, with small screws on back. Condition: one screen lacking one embossed leaf, the other screen lacking four of the same and with one leaf almost detached; else fine.*** A handsome pair of embroidered hand-held fire screens, probably from the first decades of the 19th century, in fine condition. ?A beautiful addition to any room, decorative pole screens served an important function in the 18th century: The tall thin screens shielded people?s faces from the direct heat of the fire. In the 17th and 18th centuries both men and women wore makeup to hide blemishes. (It was said that before he turned fifty the Prince Regent?s face had turned waxen and copper colored from make up.) The cosmetic preparation worn to hide small pox was thick, and made up of wax and white lead. The lead was toxic, especially when warmed, and the heat from a fire could be life threatening. A pole screen protected the face from intense heat and prevented the wax from melting and the cosmetics from interacting with the skin. The earliest panels were made of wicker, but these were replaced with beautiful needlework or embroidered panels that came in many shapes and sizes ? oval, heart-shaped, rectangular, etc. By the late 18th century, skin disfiguration caused by plagues was no longer as prevalent as before, and smaller polescreens became more fashionable.?- Jane Austen?s World, website(viewed 4-6-26).