Ring for service, Regency style

In grand houses, that elegant tassel hanging in the drawing room was called a bellpull. With a single tug, it set a hidden system of wires and levers in motion, ringing a bell in the servants’ hall so a footman or maid knew exactly where they were needed (and depending on the location, which staff would attend the call).

Early in the Georgian era, families still relied on handbells, but by the Regency, many country houses had upgraded to full bell systems with ornate pulls in the main rooms. They weren’t everywhere (no one expected a bellpull in the scullery, after all) but in bedrooms, dining rooms, and parlors, they were a sign of wealth and convenience.

The style of the pull ranged widely, be it a silken rope, a woven tapestry, a braided tassel, or otherwise.

A few fun facts:

• Some pulls were purely decorative, not even connected to a bell, just there to impress guests into thinking the house had a bell system.

• Fancy tassels were as much a status symbol as a function.

• There was no guarantee pulling the rope would actually bring a servant, especially if the staff were busy doing other tasks (or if that pull was fake!)