The History Of The Soviet Trellis And The Essence Of Its Application

2024 Author: Bailey Albertson | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 12:53

Why are there three mirrors in the Soviet trellis, and not two?

Many who have found the era of socialism in our country remember well the piece of furniture called trellis. It stood most often in the hallway and was used not only in the process of beautifying the hostess, but also served as a storage place for various trifles. However, not everyone knows that we owe the appearance of trellis to French women of fashion who lived long before the creation of the USSR.

Why "trellis"

Returning to France in the 17th century, to the years of the reign of King Louis XV, we will see with precision how respected rich ladies, maids of honor and wives of aristocrats straighten their curls for the next magnificent holidays and meetings. Among them was the famous to our days Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, she is also the Marquise de Pompadour, and she is also the favorite of the King of France, who was awarded the invention of trellis.

The word "treillage" is of French origin (treillage) and translates as a three-piece mirror. This design looks like a cabinet with drawers and three mirrors: one main and, as a rule, the largest is attached to the dressing table, and two side ones remain movable "extensions" of the middle mirror.

It is not surprising that such a table has become almost the most important piece of furniture in the rooms of women of fashion who could afford such a luxury. Very often it was of light shades, and gilding was applied over bizarre shapes. The wealthier the owner of this female trend was, the more refined it looked, and the price was several times higher. Made in accordance with all the rules of the Rococo style, trellises made it possible for girls and women to see themselves from any angle, allowing them to correct their hairstyle, notice a crumpled dress, or simply straighten their backs, flirting and smiling at their reflection.

Many people attribute a different name to the trellis - pier glass, although in reality these are two different things. The main distinguishing feature is that the dressing table has only one mirror, which gives a single viewing angle to the face and upper body. While trellis, in addition to the number of its mirrors, also differs in a variety of sizes: from desktop to almost full-height.

Why are three mirrors needed

More than one century has passed since the creation of the trellis, but even in the days of our grandmothers and great-grandmothers, it still has not lost its relevance. Under the USSR, such furniture was hardly a direct indicator of luxury, because it looked very simple and was present in every second apartment, such as, for example, a wall carpet or a floor lamp. Polished dark wood and three mirrors without frames and patterns - the Soviet personification of the once French boom.

Over time, not only the appearance of such a table has changed, but also a certain functional component: instead of a variety of women's cosmetics and perfumes, they settled on it: house keys, change brought from the store, sometimes even some tools, buttons and other equipment for cutting and sewing. That is, from an exclusively ladies' corner, it turned into a kind of pedestal with an unusual mirror, standing in the corridor for the general use of family members.

Despite all this, the trellis has not lost its main feature. Indeed, he remained the main assistant in the construction of women's complex hairstyles and everyday styling. Indispensability is manifested in the fact that in one side mirror a girl can look at her reflection from the front, at the same moment a side view appears in the large middle mirror, and in the third one you can see yourself from the back. That is why the trellis consists of three mirrors, not two, presenting an interesting solution to one of the women's needs.