The Villa Alba Museum is cultural institution committed to the collection, study and display of 19th century interior decorative finishes, and the components of 19th and 20th century interior decoration. These include artefacts (wallpapers, textiles, carpet samples), furnishings, printed materials (catalogues, books, periodicals), and pictures (photographs).

The tiebacks complete with tassels are historically significant for being associated ensuite with DAD-035-0001, the suite of curtains. The tassels have aesthetic significance as beautiful and intricate pieces of late 19thC interior decoration.

6 parts of a total of 3 pairs of curtain tiebacks. Each pair comprises a length of plain gold silk cable cord plus a second, equal length with a magnificent tassel in the middle; the two pieces would loop around the lower-middle length of each curtain, pulling it open in a graceful drape. One pair is slightly shorter than the other two. The tie backs are made of floss (soft, shiny) silk cord, composed of two thick strands twisted together into a cable cord. Three lengths have an elaborate tassel attached to the middle of each cord, to weight the tieback in an elegant loop, with the loose ends attached to hooks or pins on the window frame. Each tassel is formed on a turned wooden core, wrapped with floss silk thread; further decorated with knotted netting, applied braid, and 16 glass beads. The big end of the mould forms a large, flattened shape, from which hangs a ring of long bullion fringe. Today this looks tarnished-silver (nearly black), colour, but as shown by the card of detached lengths of bullion fringe (DAD-035-0005), the untarnished colour would have been bright gold. Part of a group of 7 curtains with associated furnishings which includes a curtain with original fittings, fringe and braid unpicked from other curtains, and these 6 curtain tie backs. The six curtain tie backs are identical, though one pair is shorter. These curtain decorations are truly luxurious; the original suite of curtains would have been very expensive, an eloquent item of conspicuous consumption of luxury goods.

Attached handwritten note : "VA Th. 7/6/2012 Ric Freeman 0419875707 (Nat Trust member) & Julie Freeman 0419875706 / re soft furnishings, tassels, trimmings, braid set / Jessie, Terry (and Chris St) to view, collect". The phone numbers were tried in October 2024, and though picked up, the contacts did not want to talk about the curtain donation.

interior decoration - history, curtain accessories, tassels

It is not clear that this fringe was ever attached to the curtain suite; it may have come from an associated part of the original ensemble (eg pelmet) or from associated furniture. However, it is certainly connected to the fringe on the tieback tassels, whose tassels are finished with the same product.

The detached gilt metal fringe has aesthetic significance as specimen of an opulent furnishing decoration in very lavish contexts, such as gold rush Victoria. Part of it still preserves the original bright gold metal, ie is untarnished; this is probably quite rare in Australian collections.

Board wrapped w c.17m of heavy gilt metal fringe (known as bullion fringe) in several pieces, evidently detached from curtains, and/or furniture items. (No sign of it having been attached to the curtains). The fringe is composed of metallic thread very tightly wound over a cotton/linen thread, attached to a narrow header braid with an ornamental design worked in metallic gimp cord. The colour was originally gold, now tarnished on all parts exposed to air, but sections of the fringe under the top layers retain the luxurious gold finish. Westman (2019: 242) explains that 'gold thread' was made of gold fired onto silver bars from which thin, flat or round wires were cut to wrap around a core linen thread for use in trimmings. Shen notes that the very thin layer of gold often wears away, exposing the silver which tarnishes. Bullion fringe: fringe made of bullion, in the sense of precious metal, used for prestigious royal, ecclesiastical and military garments and furnishings. Westman (2019: 193, 240) says that by the 19thC, the name was also used for twisted thread long fringe made of wool, silk, cotton or a mix, as it is today. In this form, 'bullion fringe' became a lavish edge-trim in the early-mid-19thC wherever its vertical look could add richness to drapery.

interior decoration - history

This is the same gimp as on the curtains. Probably saved because it was beautiful and expensive, but inherently decontextualised from its original historic use.

The detached gimp has some (but perhaps not much) historical significance, having some association with highly decorated suite of curtains DAD-035-0001.

Length of decorative upholstery gimp, unpicked from original curtains and wound onto a piece of card for storage. Gimp is a type of upholstery trim. a flat tape made up of threads or fine cords forming a wave or chain design, held in place by another wavy cord to produce an openwork, geometric braid. In this item, the cords are respectively light blue and metallic gold (much of it tarnished to silvery colour). The gimp is en suite with the set of curtains and their ornaments (qv) - another luxurious trimming for expensive furnishings.

upholstery trimmings

The curtains are significant for their comparative rarity of survival, and at the same time, are highly representative of opulent colonial taste in interior decor in the boom period. The curtain panels are of high quality materials and in unusually good condition, indicating they were used in a window with relatively little sunlight shining on them. They can be imagined in a grand room with one or more matching dressed windows.

7 curtain panels, all the same size, possibly to fit a 3-light bay window; or alternately, to fit 3 windows in the same room (or something else altogether, if this is not the original total number of panels). Fabric: silk-wool mix, sky blue ground with narrow vertical gold stripes. The fabric is a damask weave with a watered (moiré) finish; the large, woven motif depicts an urn filled with stylised flowers, leaves and curlicues; the spacing of the motifs is more 19thC than older styles using much the same motif. Each curtain drop is decorated with an applied band of narrow, colour-matched gimp braid around the sides and lower end. The bottom hems are weighted with what feels like lead shot. The curtains are lined with sturdy brown cotton. They are gathered at the top edge on drawstring tape; and hand-sewn with small metal hanging rings. Faded vertical bands of sun exposure are visible on most of the curtains, and one panel has a mended tear on a lower side. Otherwise they are in excellent, sound condition.

interior decoration-19th century, curtains-19th century, colonial taste-victoria, gold boom melbourne