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FLOWERS, ARTIFICIAL

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Originally appearing in Volume V10, Page 573 of the 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica.
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FLOWERS, ARTIFICIAL . Imitations of natural flowers are sometimes made for scientific purposes (as the collection of See also:glass flowers at Harvard University, which illustrates the See also:flora of the See also:United States), but more often as articles of decoration and See also:ornament. A large variety of materials have been used in their manufacture by different peoples at different times—painted See also:linen and shavings of stained See also:horn by the Egyptians, See also:gold and See also:silver by the See also:Romans, See also:rice-See also:paper by the See also:Chinese, silkworm cocoons in See also:Italy, the plumage of highly coloured birds in See also:South See also:America, See also:wax, small tinted shells, &c. At the beginning of the 18th See also:century the See also:French, who originally learnt the See also:art from the Italians, made See also:great advances in the accuracy of their reproductions, and towards the end of that century the See also:Paris manufacturers enjoyed a See also:world-wide reputation. About the same See also:time the art was introduced into See also:England by French refugees, and soon afterwards it spread also to America. The See also:industry is now a highly specialized one and comprises a large number of operations performed by See also:separate hands. Four See also:main processes may be distinguished. The first consists of cutting up the various fabrics and materials employed into shapes suitable for forming the leaves, petals, &c.; this may be done by See also:scissors, but more often stamps are employed which will cut through a dozen or more thicknesses at one See also:blow. The See also:veins of the leaves are next impressed by means of a See also:die, and the petals are given their natural rounded forms by goffering irons of various shapes. The next step is to assemble the petals and other parts of the See also:flower, which is built up from the centre outwards; and the See also:fourth is to See also:mount the flower on a stalk formed of See also:brass or See also:iron See also:wire wrapped See also:round with suitably coloured material, and to fasten on the leaves required to See also:complete the spray.

End of Article: FLOWERS, ARTIFICIAL

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