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Bradley Manor, Devonshire, boasts this unusual but very striking little square room with its hanging swags of plasterwork. Now called the Bridal Chamber it must have been introduced into the old Tudor house for the benefit of a bride in the time of James II or William and Mary.
The plasterwork is beautifully worked on a copper wire frame and it stands right away from the coved edge of the ceiling, adding much to its charm and character by the deep shadows cast from the flowers and leaves which are modelled in the round and not just in relief. In the four corners of the room are giant scallop shells slightly tilted forward to fit comfortably into the curve of the ceiling. The walls are panelled with large panels surrounded by bolection moulding, and their simple dignity balances the weight of plaster ornament to perfection. Probably the panelled walls were always painted-they are a dove-grey shade now-but it is of course possible that they were once uncovered.
Although the design is charming and the plaster-work a thing of beauty, there are comparatively few existing examples of this type of plaster-work. It was in all probability very tiresome to work or else got damaged too easily; that wire was often used in the smaller designs of the time in the early 18th century is obvious but I have not so far been able to find another example of this sort with such giant flowers carried out with so much detail.
A charter was granted in Charles II reign which forbade any person from practising as a plaster-worker unless he had served seven years apprenticeship. This prohibition very naturally encouraged a far higher standard in the work than might have been previously expected, though one finds that plaster ceilings tend to get more and more complicated in design as the century progresses.
A comparatively simple example based on the earlier styles and still incorporating the original covered beams in its design, is that of the ceiling in the old drawing-room at Sparrow House, Ipswich (now known as the Ancient House).
Here we have what might be considered a perfect `transitional' example between the time of Charles I and the Restoration. The ornament on the plaster covered beams is the variation on the old theme of oak leaves, Tudor rose and thistle.
The centre of each division is decorated with an oval of rather clumsy looking fruit (this effect may be due to too many coats of whitewash in the past and not entirely the fault of the artist), and the four corners in each case are decorated with cartouches.
SPARROW HOUSE, IPSWITCH
c. 1660
