Monday 8 October 1660

Annotations

• N chris on Wed 8 Oct 2003, 11:59pm

  What would be the purpose of “gilded leather” in Sam’s dining room? Wall or table decoration? Is this good taste or the conspicuous consumption of an arriviste?

• N Paul Brewster on Thu 9 Oct 2003, 12:08am

  gilded leather
  Interesting modern site on subject http://www.paper-hangings.com/wrn/portlg.html

• N Dirk Van de putte on Thu 9 Oct 2003, 02:50am

  Guilded leather

  Guilded leather was a commonly used material in rich people’s houses - used as wall covering, very much as we now use wallpaper. It was hugely expensive, but it was good taste. It was quite acceptable (and even expected) to show your wealth in home decoration.

• N Mary on Thu 9 Oct 2003, 08:25am

  Gilded leather

  Thanks to Paul for his reference to such a fascinating site.

  Anyone visiting the Rijksmuseum in Amsterdam can see examples of early gilded leather, applied to the wall surface in such a way as to look like richly decorated panelling.

• N helena murphy on Thu 9 Oct 2003, 09:03am

  Neither Sam nor Elizabeth ever seem to have bad taste in anything,leaving aside of course his casual sexual encounters.But Considering Pepys’ general subtlety in regard to life,Elizabeth’s French background, and the expertise of Sam’s father used to entering great houses as a professional tailor ,would indicate to me that they are quite sophisticated in such matters.

• N Jim on Thu 9 Oct 2003, 06:47pm

  If you don’t think you can get an invitation to visit the home pictured in the link that Paul Brewster supplied above,
  you can still get to see leather wall hangings in person — On your next visit to Washington be sure to visit the Freer Gallery (part of the Smithsonian complext of museums, it’s next to the Smithsonian “Castle”) and see the Peacock Room. The room was once the dining room of a wealthy Englishman, now moved to an American museum — there are beautiful leather wall hangings with peacock designs, various Japanese screens and some paintings by Whistler. I haven’t been there in a number of years but I still remember the visual impace of that room. Next time I do visit there I’ll try to picture Samuel Pepys having leather wall hangings in his house.

• N Peter on Thu 9 Oct 2003, 07:33pm

  Having read the phrase “my wife being gone out to buy some household stuff”, I spent a pleasant few moments musing on how modern this sounded and speculating on what items would be included in this “household stuff” (The Restoration equivalents of Fairy Liquid, Harpic, Brillo Pads etc?). The original meaning of “stuff” I have always understood to be “fabric” or “material”. Could the “stuff” here be the wall hangings that have previously been discussed, some other material, or do we think that Sam is using a remarkably modern sounding turn of phrase?

• N Bullus Hutton on Thu 9 Oct 2003, 10:33pm

  We love one another

• N David A. Smith on Sat 11 Oct 2003, 07:45pm

  “We love one another’s discourse …”
  I agree with Bullus; not only is Sam eloquent in his simplicity, anyone who can be so candid to a diary will be similarly facile in person. Since we like those who like us, this honest appreciation (the genuine article of which obsequity is the counterfeit), among his other qualities, will doubtless help him rise.