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Tassel
unknown - Enlarge image
Tassel
- Place of origin:
England, Great Britain (possibly, made)
France (possibly, made)
Italy (possibly, made) - Date:
1600-1700 (made)
- Artist/Maker:
unknown (production)
- Materials and Techniques:
Silk and metal thread on a wooden core
- Museum number:
1503I-1888
- Gallery location:
British Galleries, room 56d, case 9
Object Type
Tassels are bunched groups of thread which have been bound together decoratively, and are hung from furniture or other objects, for a purely ornamental purpose. They were used in the 17th century as part of the elaborate 'passementerie', or trimmings, put on to bed hangings and chair covers by upholsterers. This tassel was made in matching larger and smaller versions.
Materials & Making
Since the purpose of tassels like these was to enhance the visual effect of furniture and hangings they were usually made in eye-catching materials, such as gold and silver thread or brightly-coloured silks. Contrasts in pattern and texture were achieved by building up layers, sometimes on a wooden core, and sometimes with an elaborate wire structure, as here. The significant value of such tassels as costly items in their own right meant that they were often specified in inventory descriptions of furniture.
