PORTIERE  , a

hanging placed over a door, as its French name implies, or over the doorless entrance to a room . From the East, where doors are still rare, it came to Europe at a remote date—it is known to have been in use in the West in the '4th century, and was probably introduced much earlier . Like so many other domestic plenishings, it reached England by way of France, where it appears to have been originally called rideau de Porte . It is still extensively used either as an ornament or as a means of mitigating draughts . It is usually of some heavy material, such as velvet, brocade, or plush, and is often fixed upon a brass arm, moving in a socket with the opening and closing of the door .