S is for Shells and Swags

I may have mentioned in an earlier post that sometimes I find it hard to decide if the architectural ornamentation I’m looking at is feathers in a peacock’s tail, or shells!! I’m going to suggest that my interpretation of shells can be found on our former Echo Press building on Swan Street! These are placed at regular intervals on several rows, one row being just above the ground floor windows, the other row being part of the window surrounds on the first floor.

Often we think of swags and tails in relation to window coverings, but in this blog we are considering swags as architectural ornamnetation. One of the definitions I’ve come across for the architectural version of a “swag” is that it is a decoration which looks like a garland of fruit, or flowers, or leaves, and is draped between two points. The little 1920s building that is now part of Lloyds Bank on the High Street side certainly has a most wonderful depiction of fruit that it looks almost real! If you look into the building from across the street, and look up you can see there are some beautifully shaped windows towards the back. I was going to apologise for the poor quality of the photograph, but it's so bad Blogger won't even let me upload it - sorry!

Instead, here's a photo of the mosaic swags and tails on the building that is now Francis and Gaye, the jewellers, which was previously Denhams, which is a beautiful example of Arts and Crafts architectural decoration, and on this building, it dates from 1907.

  

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I'm taking part in the A-Z April Blogging Challenge!!

 

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Posted by lynneaboutloughborough

With apologies for typos which are all mine!

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