<b>Object Type</b><br>Elaborate bands made up of metal thread or silk were used by upholsterers in the 17th century in their repertoire of elaborate passementerie, or trimmings. The great cost of these trimmings meant that they were often specified in inventory descriptions of furniture.<br><br><b>Materials & Making</b><br>Since the purpose of these trimmings was to enhance the visual effect of furniture and hangings, they were usually made in eye-catching materials, gold and silver thread or brightly-coloured silks. Contrasts in pattern and texture were achieved by building up layers, often in quite complex three-dimensional forms. Sometimes the trimmings were imported from France and Italy, but they were also made in London.Red silk trimming on a structure of silk cord twisted with thinner cord based, at 2 inch intervals, on lozenges covered with red silk threads bound by a criss-cross of gold thread. Red silk coil is attached round the edges of the lozenges. They are almost embedded in scores of tiny knots of red floss silk with loops of gold thread, with a yellow silk core, tied in at intervals.British Galleries:
Trimmings made of expensive materials were applied to elaborate suites of furniture, particularly beds and their associated seat furniture. Deeper fringes hung from valances and the bottom of curtains. Few original examples survive because these textiles are so fragile. [27/03/2003]Red silk trimming with gold and silver threads, probably England, about 1710