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Wallpaper Border

ca. 1820 (made)
Artist/Maker
Place of origin

Object Type
In the 18th century wallpapers were often fixed to the wall with nails or tacks, rather than pasted up. Printed borders were used to conceal the heads of the tacks and to give a neat and finished appearance to the papered wall. The fashion for using borders continued even when methods of hanging wallpapers changed and borders were no longer strictly necessary. By the early 19th century borders were available in elaborate designs to use as a frieze decoration around the upper part of the room.

Use
Some wallpaper borders were designed to be used vertically. They would have been pasted over each vertical join between the sheets of wallpaper, giving the effect of a room decorated with a succession of framed panels. The design of this border is appropriate to this kind of use because the pattern shows ivy growing up around a rod or staff. It would probably have been used with a matching wallpaper with a pattern of scattered sprigs of ivy.

People
This wallpaper comes from the stock of Messrs Cowtan & Sons Ltd, an important interior decorating company based in Oxford Street London, from the 1830s to the 1930s. They succeeded two other well-known wallpaper suppliers, J. Duppa and J.G. Crace. Cowtan supplied wallpapers to customers all over the country.


Object details

Categories
Object type
Materials and techniques
Colour print from wood blocks, on paper
Brief description
Portion of wallpaper border with golden vine leaves twisting around a pole, on a pink ground; Colour print from wood blocks, on paper; From the stock of Cowtan & Sons; England; ca. 1820.
Physical description
Portion of wallpaper border with golden vine leaves twisting around a pole, on a pink ground; Colour print from wood blocks, on paper.
Dimensions
  • Paper height: 29cm
  • Paper width: 49.2cm
Dimensions checked: Measured; 06/05/1999 by KN
Gallery label
British Galleries: Wallpapers with Classical motifs were a fashionable feature in Regency interiors and deep borders became particularly popular. Wallpapers at this time were printed with wooden blocks. As each colour was added, the effect of three-dimensional modelling was enhanced, giving them the appearance of friezes made of moulded plasterwork.(27/03/2003)
Credit line
Given by Mr A. L. Cowtan in memory of his father, Arthur Barnard Cowtan, OBE
Object history
Given by Mr A. L. Cowtan in memory of his father, Arthur Barnard Cowtan, OBE.
Subjects depicted
Summary
Object Type
In the 18th century wallpapers were often fixed to the wall with nails or tacks, rather than pasted up. Printed borders were used to conceal the heads of the tacks and to give a neat and finished appearance to the papered wall. The fashion for using borders continued even when methods of hanging wallpapers changed and borders were no longer strictly necessary. By the early 19th century borders were available in elaborate designs to use as a frieze decoration around the upper part of the room.

Use
Some wallpaper borders were designed to be used vertically. They would have been pasted over each vertical join between the sheets of wallpaper, giving the effect of a room decorated with a succession of framed panels. The design of this border is appropriate to this kind of use because the pattern shows ivy growing up around a rod or staff. It would probably have been used with a matching wallpaper with a pattern of scattered sprigs of ivy.

People
This wallpaper comes from the stock of Messrs Cowtan & Sons Ltd, an important interior decorating company based in Oxford Street London, from the 1830s to the 1930s. They succeeded two other well-known wallpaper suppliers, J. Duppa and J.G. Crace. Cowtan supplied wallpapers to customers all over the country.
Bibliographic references
  • Oman, Charles C., and Hamilton, Jean. Wallpapers: a history and illustrated catalogue of the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum. London: Sotheby Publications, in association with the Victoria and Albert Museum, 1982.
  • Victoria and Albert Museum, Department of Engraving, Illustration and Design & Department of Paintings, Accessions 1939, published under the Authority of the Ministry of Education, London, 1950 Given by Mr. Noel D. Sheffield, F.R.I.B.A.'
Collection
Accession number
E.62-1939

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Record createdMarch 27, 2003
Record URL
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