Forms: α. 5 valaunce, 6–7 valans (6 wal-), 5– valance (8 vol-); 5–9 vallance. β. 5, 7 valens, 6 valense, 7–9 vallens (7 -ins), 6– valence, 6–7 vallence. γ. pl. 6 vallanes, 6, 8 vallance, 7, 9 vallens; 6, 9 valence, 7 valens. δ. pl. 6 valandes, 7 vallands, -ents, 9 valends. [Of obscure origin: perh. a. AF. *valance, f. valer = OF. avaler to descend (cf. vale VAIL v.2).
Florio (1598), gives ‘Valenza, valenzana, Say or Serge for bed-curtins or valances for beds,’ and ‘Valenzana del letto, valences for beds,’ but there is no evidence for the genuineness of these.]
1. A piece of drapery attached lengthways to a canopy, altar-cloth, or the like, so as to hang in a vertical position. Also attrib.
α. 1463. in Bury Wills (Camden), 36. The selor of cloth on loffte, with the valaunce of scripture abowte the ymage.
1494. Househ. Ord. (1790), 115. The ninth question; whether in the same feaste the Queens cloth of Estate shall hang as highe as the Kings or noe? answere thereunto; the Queens shall hang lower by the vallance.
1540. Ludlow Churchw. Acc. (Camden), 2. For wesshynge of autor clothis and albes,… and the sowynge on of the valans of them. Ibid. The walans that hangyth over the heygh auter.
1670. Lassels, Voy. Italy (1698), II. 22. Four stately pillars of brass bear up a canopy of the same metal … with vallances and a gilt fringe, yet all of brass.
1762–71. H. Walpole, Vertue’s Anecd. Paint. (1786), I. 54. A tent, striped with white and gold,… and the valance, of the same colours.
1867. Baker, Nile Trib., v. 106. Upon striking the tent, we found beneath the valance between the crown and the walls a regiment of scorpions.
attrib. 1892. Lowndes, Camping Sketches, 48–9. Waxing eloquent over knotted guy-ropes and missing valance loops.
β. 1500. Will of M. Yonge (Somerset Ho.). Afore the ymage of our Lady within the valens of the same Chirch.
a. 1548. Hall, Chron. (1809), 639. Sarcenet … let doune in maner of a valence before the gallery.
1572. Holinshed, Chron., II. 1082/2. A rich herse,… couered with blacke veluet, with a valence fringed with golde.
γ. 1806. Naval Chron., XV. 231. The vallens [of the funeral canopy] were fringed with black.
2. spec. a. A border of drapery hanging round the canopy of a bed; in later use, a short curtain around the frame of a bedstead, etc., serving to screen the space underneath.
α. c. 1450. Bk. Curtasye, 447, in Babees Bk. For lordys two beddys schalle be made…. Þo valance on sylour shalle henge with wyn, iij curteyns streȝt drawen with-inne.
1480. Wardr. Acc. Edw. IV. (1830), 132. A sperver…, conteignyng testour, celour, and valances lyned with busk.
1502. Priv. Purse Exp. Eliz. York (1830), 66. The seler ij yerdes dim. and the quarter long, the valance j quarter dim. depe.
a. 1593. Marlowe, in Engl. Parnassus (1600), 480. And as a costly vallance ore a bed, So did their garland tops the brooke orespred.
1611. Cotgr., Les pentes d’vn lict, the Valance.
1676. Covel, in Early Voy. Levant (Hakluyt Soc.), 165. The vallance was of the same make.
1749. Mrs. Delany, Life & Corr. (1861), II. 527. I think the fringe of the valance and bases should be the same depth as that on the bottom of the curtains.
1837. Barham, Ingol. Leg., Ser. I. Spectre of Tappington. He peeped under the valance of an old-fashioned bedstead.
1861. Flor. Nightingale, Nursing (ed. 2), 56. An iron bedstead, (no vallance, of course), and hair mattress.
1883. F. M. Peard, Contradictions, i. They had tucked away the scalloped valance,… and drawn back the striped curtains.
β. 1591. Percivall, Sp. Dict., Presilla pelada, vallence for a bed.
1602. Inv., in Collectanea Archæol. (1863), II. 97. One bedsteede,… The vallence and frynge of curtaines of say.
1622. Peacham, Compl. Gentl., xiii. (1634), 139. As we see in knops now adayes upon the Valences and Canopies of beds.
1679. Lond. Gaz., No. 1434/4. The Curtains and double Vallence of a red Damask Bed.
1748. Richardson, Clarissa (1811), IV. 396. She had had the presence of mind … to tear down the half-burnt vallens, as well as curtains.
1794. Girlhood of M. J. Holroyd (1896), 287. Mrs. Maynard has made up … the Bed … with full Valences.
1831. Remembrance, 80 The hangings of the large square bed were of yellow merino,… with plain, moth-eaten valences.
γ. 1567. Harman, Caveat (1869), 67. These make laces vpon staues, purses,… and whyte vallance for beddes.
1587. Wills & Inv. N. C. (Surtees, 1860), 317. A pare of sheates, a coueringe, a teaster, courtaynes and vallanes.
1612. Webster, White Devil, III. ii. 177. Let him make Valence for his bed on’t, or a demy foote-cloth.
1730. Southall, Treat. Buggs, 40. The Tester-Cloth,… to which the Head-cloth, and inside and outside Vallens are to be fixed.
1759. Phil. Trans., LI. 284. All the vallance were unnailed.
δ. 1512. Test. Ebor. (Surtees), V. 38. Two pilloo coddes with the valandes.
1590. Shuttleworths’ Acc. (Chetham Soc.), 58. Lyttell nelles to festen valandes to bedesse, ijd.
1631. Quarles, Hist. Samson, Wks. (Grosart), II. 161/2. My beds,… My sheets; My vallents, and my curtaines.
1675. Teonge, Diary (1825), 47. The bedds … with white curtens, and vallands.
1881. Blackmore, Christowell, xxi. (1882), II. 50. They came from the valends of the broken down bedstead.
b. A short window-curtain. rare.
1726. Adv. Capt. R. Boyle (1768), 3. Nailing up some Vallens to the Windows in the Dining-room.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2688. Valance, a lambrequin, or drooping curtain hiding the curtain-rods of a window.
3. A pendant border or edging of velvet, leather or other material.
a. 1700. Evelyn, Diary, 1 April 1644. The Duke of Orleans’s Library;… the valans of the shelves being of greene velvet fring’d with gold.
1801. trans. Gabrielli’s Mysterious Husb., III. 5. Nor were the valence less adorned;—indeed, they appeared to have been fashioned by a chissel.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 2688. Valance, the drooping ledge at the parting of a trunk.
transf. 1884. W. K. Parker, Mammalian Descent, ii. (1885), 55, note. In whose larval skull a similar vallance of cartilage grows copiously.
b. A flap attached to a head-dress, esp. as a protection against the sun.
1791. H. Walpole, Lett. (1891), IX. 318. The hats with valences, the folds above the chin of the ladies, and the dirty shirts and shaggy hair of the young men,… have confounded all individuality.
1875. Knight, Dict. Mech., 1246. Like the cap with a valance named from the East Indian hero ‘Havelock.’
