This post was written by Mae Colburn, a graduate student in the History of Decorative Arts and Design program at Parsons the New School for Design. Her focus is textiles. This post first appeared on the Cooper -Hewitt, National Design Museum’s Object of the Day blog.
Novelties in Laces for Furniture and Decoration is a set of one hundred and fifty color lithographic prints depicting over one hundred and ninety unique tassel and trim designs. The designs incorporate gimp, braid, galloon, bows, flies, and bobbles. Color reveals details of ply, twist, pile, and luster, and highlights and lowlights provide a sense of dimension. The prints are housed in a custom storage box bearing the date 1880. Also in the box is the leather-bound presentation folder, pictured above on the left. The folder describes the object’s place of origin, Vienna, and maker, Philip Schwarz, “Manufacturer of Laces.” Also on the presentation folder is Schwarz’s business address, “ZiegerGasse 11,” in what was then an important business district near the major shopping street, Mariahilfer Strasse.
