How do you use a pole screen?

You slide the embroidered panel up or down the vertical wooden stem to align it with your face when seated near a lit hearth. The screen blocks the intense radiant heat of an open coal fire without requiring you to move your armchair away from the warmth.

What is the difference between a pole screen and a cheval screen?

A pole screen uses a single central shaft with an adjustable panel that moves vertically on a tripod or weighted base. A cheval screen rests on two side supports with a larger, wider panel that typically tilts rather than sliding up and down.

Are these panels hand-stitched?

The textile panels on these pieces generally feature hand-worked needlepoint, woolwork, or embroidery on canvas mesh. Victorian and Georgian makers often stitched these floral, pastoral, or armorial designs domestically before mounting them into timber frames.

How do I identify the period of a screen?

Dating relies on the primary timber, the turning style of the stem, and the characteristics of the base and feet. Mahogany tripod bases with crisp carving point to Georgian origins, whilst rosewood, walnut, and bobbin turnings typically indicate Victorian manufacture.