Victorian Cornice Collection

Interior design during The Victorian period (1837 – 1901) became more extravagant throughout its span. This extravagance also influenced the detail and enrichment of the ceiling rose and cornice designs, as well as more elaborate plaster ceiling decoration. Whilst more modest Victorian houses maintained a plainer design to the cornice and ceiling roses, the higher ceilings offered by the larger homes provided a wonderful opportunity for the designers and plasterers of this period.

This was an opportunity that was not wasted, with plaster ceiling decorations of elaborate swags, floral designs and festoons being incorporated into more and more detailed ribs and panelling. These intricate patterns and enrichment being continued within the cornice and ceiling rose patterns.

This heightened embellishment of design still maintained links with classical ornament. For example, Acanthus leaf and anthemion decoration can often be identified within Victorian cornice whilst both of these are to be found within ancient Greek architecture. The use of intertwined foliage is often used in order to cover a large area with a relatively small amount of ornament, this process being seen in most periods of architectural history, and was very popular with Victorian designers to create the enriched plates to their larger cornice designs.

This natural flamboyancy and extravagance of the Victorian designers and plasterers was given a further boost with the introduction of fibrous plaster, the technique being patented in 1856. Through this process large precast plaster panels, with canvas as a reinforcing agent, could be moulded, cast and nailed into position on site. This process quickly extended from purely ceiling panelling to also include cornice and roses, and as such allowing the development of both the scale and extravagance of design of these items also.