62 
House & 
Garden 
THE TALE €>F THE TASSEL 
In Addition to Providing an Effective Finish the Tassel lias Always 
Given a Semblance of Utility 
i 
A. T. WOLFE 
T HE office filled by the tassel 
is often a sinecure today. 
Though its origin is of hoary 
antiquity, there is little doubt that 
it first came into existence as some¬ 
thing handy to grip at the end of a 
slippery rope. The strands frayed 
out, to obviate this a knot large 
enough to hold was tied a few 
inches from the end, and the tassel 
in its rudimentary form was thus 
evolved. 
It has journeyed west, changed 
as the times changed, waxed and 
waned in public favor; but the 
knot, the raveled-out ends and the 
pendant cord can always be traced 
in some form or other. 
The tassel that dangles from a 
blind still preserves a semblance of 
The tassel in this bell pull 
is of wool and silk cord in 
tapestry colorings. From 
Edward Maag 
utility; usually, however, it is 
among the most idle and the most 
engaging of decorations. Between 
the tassels that are seen everywhere 
today and those which we only 
know from Assyrian bas reliefs, 
there have been many appearances 
and reappearances, but the tassel 
has never wholly disappeared from 
decorative art; and something of 
the prevailing taste of each epoch 
lias been reflected in miniature by 
this small ornament. 
Of ancient specimens not many 
survive; they were known in Egypt 
as far back as the 3rd Century; 
they were used in Greece and Rome, 
they appear on Japanese armour of 
great antiquity, as well as on count- 
(Continued on page 108) 
A mould covered with netted 
silk floss cmd topped with a 
plush ruche distinguishes the 
tassels above 
An elaborate Louis XVI tassel 
of silk bullion, fine copper 
spirals and gimp ornaments. 
Edward Maag 
Here two tassels are used 
to finish an ornamental bell 
pull. Courtesy of Edward 
M nag 
Silk cords and small 
tassels are topped by 
a plush ball. From 
Edward Maag 
A tassel showing Italian influ¬ 
ence has a mould covered with 
silk threads in a herringbone 
design 
Effective bead 
tassels come in a 
variety of colors. 
From HopeHam- 
mond Studios 
A chair often becomes more 
decorative if its cushion is tied 
on with silk cords and tassels. 
From the Orsenigo Co. 
These tassels can 
be made in any 
color.Consolidat¬ 
ed Trimming Co. 
