Tapestry Banner Screen
These tapestry banner screen pieces offer an ingenious way to deflect hearth heat and add rich needlework colour to a room.
Tapestry Banner Screen
Most examples found on this page take the form of pole screens, where a textile panel slides vertically on a slender stand. Collectors also encounter table screens and individual banner hangers designed for interior display.
Makers shaped these stands from rosewood, mahogany, satinwood, and gilt brass to support wool, silk, and needlepoint panels. These furnishings served a practical domestic purpose in period drawing rooms.
Materials and construction
Cabinetmakers turned dense timbers like rosewood and mahogany into slender poles and sturdy bases, often applying carved details or bobbin turning. Brass mechanisms allowed the textile banner to slide and lock at the desired height.
Craftspeople worked wool, silk, and needlepoint to create intricate pictorial panels mounted within wooden or brass frames. These textile banners required patient hand stitching to withstand proximity to the hearth.
Designed to save Victorian ladies from melting their wax makeup too close to the fire.
Judging quality in a tapestry banner screen
Quality rests in the crispness of the timber carving and the density of the needlework stitches. Finer pieces display well-defined joinery on the base and superior pictorial depth in the wool or silk panel.
Proportion dictates the elegance of the silhouette, with better examples balancing substantial carved bases against delicate adjustable banner frames. The fluidity of the brass adjusting mechanism also separates standard production from superior work.
The Tapestry Banner Screen Glossary
- Pole screen
- A vertical stand holding an adjustable textile panel designed to block radiant heat from a fireplace. These upright furnishings sit easily beside hearths and armchairs.
- Needlepoint
- Embroidery stitched onto an open-weave canvas foundation to create dense pictorial designs. This technique forms the primary visual element of most banner panels.
- Table screen
- A smaller version of the hearth screen designed to sit on a desk or tabletop. These pieces often protect the face from the heat of oil lamps or coal fires.
- Bobbin turned
- A method of woodturning that creates a series of rounded, spool-like shapes along the length of a stem or leg. This decorative turning appears frequently on nineteenth-century furniture supports.
Tapestry Banner Screen: Frequently Asked Questions
How do these screens adjust?
A brass collar or sliding mechanism grips the vertical pole to hold the embroidered banner at the chosen height. This allows users to control the amount of heat deflected from the fire.
Most mechanisms rely on friction to keep the panel in place while remaining easy to slide up and down.
Where were they placed in a room?
These furnishings stood between sitting room armchairs and the open fireplace to shield the complexion from intense heat. They moved easily around the hearth depending on where people sat.
In modern rooms, they function well as decorative upright accents in corners or beside seating areas.
What is the difference between a pole screen and a table screen?
A pole screen stands tall on the floor with a vertical shaft, whereas a table screen sits on a desk or small surface. Both use textile or needlework panels to serve a similar shielding purpose.
Floor models dominate the selection, offering a taller profile for living spaces.
How do I identify a Regency period piece?
Regency examples often feature dark rosewood timbers, restrained classical proportions, and brass mounts. Their turned stems and tripod bases reflect early nineteenth-century design tastes.
Comparing the turning style and wood grain helps separate Regency work from later Victorian interpretations.