The Mystery of the Chinese Bells…Posted on | February 4, 2011 | No Comments A customer named Lisa sent us photos of a curious wallpaper installed in a historic home belonging to a friend of hers. She wanted to learn something about the design, but I regret to say we did not have any great insights to offer her. We did, however, recently come across some clues regarding an uncovered ornamental ceiling in Texas . Those clues came to us through the helpful assistance of one of our readers. So, we thought we would again solicit all of you for clues to yet another design “mystery”. Might this pattern, (which could be catergorized as Chinoiserie, having several Chinese elements in it), be depicting a folktale or story of some kind? And what about the bells that appear throughout the pattern? Do they represent “Peng Ling” bells, (a traditional Chinese musical instrument) or something else??
Well, as I said, since we are not authorities on Chinoiserie, or the language of that style, we are once again throwing this out to you, our readers! Can you help us with clues to the mystery of this pattern and tell Lisa, her friend and the rest of us the story behind it?? Incidentally, the house in which this wallpaper is installed is a “Spanish Revival”, built in 1925. The wallpaper is believed to have been hung shortly after it was built… Comments |
Welcome!Thanks for joining us! We at B&B have been researching and uncovering great designs of the past for years and we want to invite you to join us in these discoveries! Historic, vintage or retro, whatever you're looking for, we are here to be a resource, an inspiration and a place to share your enthusiasm for period design with others. Join Our Email ListBe first to know what's happening at Bradbury and Bradbury Art Wallpapers. Sign up to get advance notice of new designs and products, special offers and events. For our 30th anniversary, we will be having special promotions available exclusively to our email subscribers.  Search |
