An Aesthetic Movement Two-Panel Fire Screen

c.1880

AN AESTHETIC MOVEMENT TWO-PANEL SCREEN (American, c. 1880) composed of walnut with stamped and painted leather. One side of each framed leather reversible panel is decorated with a long rectangular panel of painted leather depicting Impressionistic flowering vines in shades of white, pink, red and green against a blue or gold background. The gold background is further accentuated with butterflies and birds. The reverse conforming sides have elaborately embossed gilt accented leather panels depicting sunflowers, flowering vines and Japonesque motifs divided by horizontal borders into a lower dado field and an upper panel divided by a cross hatch, underscoring a Japonesque asymmetrical division of space. The piece is topped with spindle-turned balusters below four turned finials. The panels are centered within a walnut frame work of stylized Vitruvian scrollwork, paterae and leaf motif borders. The whole piece rests on four short Japonesque legs.

American

Walnut

Gilded leather

16 1/2" x 45 3/4"

Purchased by The Preservation Society of Newport County, 2001.

PSNC.9785