Beaded Firescreen

Renaissance Revival Walnut Frame, Gilded Highlights

This elaborate firescreen is decorated entirely in beadwork rather than embroidered stitches. Thousands of tiny beads create the brilliant red ground, while etched glass creates the geometric border. A remarkably detailed winged female figure at the center dominates the piece. Mounted within an ornate wooden frame, the painstaking beadwork transforms a practical household object into a highly decorative work intended to be prominently displayed in the parlor.

Firescreens in the Victorian Home

Before central heating, fireplaces were an essential source of warmth, but sitting near an open fire could become uncomfortably hot. Firescreens were placed between the fire and the occupants of a room to soften the direct radiant heat and help shield them from sparks and flying embers.

Because firescreens stood prominently beside the hearth, they also became decorative furnishings. This example is especially elaborate. Even as improved heating methods made their practical role less important, they remained fashionable as ornamental objects.