Renaissance Tooled "Leather" Damask - Antique Wallpaper Rolls

With this incredibly rare lot of four original rolls of century-old hand-printed "leather" paper, we offer an exceptional opportunity to paper an entire room at a level of sumptuousness and craft virtually unmatched new wallpaper today.

Hand block printed in rich oil colors and metallic pigments, then stained to create a muted antique effect, the boldly outlined Renaissance damask pattern mixes masculine and feminine qualities while making a nice foil for the intricate details of the fine re-created tool-punch marks. It would be comfortable and appropriate in a Tudor, Old English, Arts & Crafts, Classical, Colonial Revival or even a modern eclectic setting.

We estimate the date range for this Frederick Beck & Co. paper to be 1905-1915, the same time period that Birge was producing its famous leather papers.  Beck and Birge had been fierce competitors for the higher-end market since Birge started printing papers in 1878 (Beck had already been in business for nearly 20 years at that point), and this paper allows a nice comparison of the differences between the two companies' work (believe it or not, we'd have it priced even higher if it were Birge).  Priced at just over $26/sf, this original antique paper is in line with, and even under, many high-end designer papers on the market.

We measure just under 300 square feet of material here, which is easily enough to do a small hall/library with a wainscot below, or a good-sized dining room above a plate rail. Unless the wall dimensions are in lucky alignment, one can probably expect to lose 15-20% of the paper due to installation constraints - measure thoroughly and plan the layout carefully (we can help with this). 

We are delighted to offer this once-in-a-blue-moon lot for just the right place and person, and would be happy to work with you to maximize its decorative elegance and impact.