Fire screen
Category
Furniture
Date
1830 - 1869
Materials
Carved walnut, needlework, beadwork, velvet, brass, steel, paint
Measurements
138.5 x 46 cm
Order this imageCollection
Carlyle's House, London
NT 263507
Summary
A walnut firescreen, English, mid-19th century, the later shield-shaped needle- and beadwork screen decorated with flowers on a red background, backed with green velvet, this screen suspended from an adjustable brass crossbar which supported by a brown-painted steel rod (a finial absent) which joins the turned and carved shaft and tripod base, terminating in scroll feet.
Provenance
This is quite likely to be the fire-screen stand which can be seen in Helen Allingham's 1879 watercolour painting of Thomas Carlyle reading in the drawing room in the Cheyne Row house. It can be seen to the left side of the painting but with a different fabric screen hanging and with the finial of the steel pole intact. The painting is with the National Galleries Scotland. By descent, Presented by Mr. and Mrs. A. Carlyle. The needle- and beadwork screen was probably purchased in 1959.