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).

Part of a group of curtain furnishings which includes a curtain with original fittings, fringe and braid unpicked from other curtains, and these six curtain tie backs. The six curtain tie backs are identical, though one pair is shorter. The tie backs comprise a length of soft, loose (floss) silk cord, made of two thick strands twisted together (cable cord). An elaborate tassel is attached to the middle of each cord, to weight the tie back in an elegant loop, with the loose ends attached to hooks or pins on the window frame. Each tassel is formed of a turned wooden mould, covered with floss silk thread, and further decorated with knotted netting, applied braid, and glass beads. The end of the mould has a large flattened shape, from which hangs a ring of long, bullion metal fringe. This may be silver-gilt: untarnished parts are still true gold colour, while the majority of the fringing is tarnished black. 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 (Nat Trust member) & Julie Freeman / re soft furnishings, tassels, trimmings, braid set / Jessie, Terry (and Chris St) to view, collect"

decorative arts & design, interior decoration - history, curtain accessories, tassels

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.

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