Question on tapering a bezier curve I'm trying to model this medieval wall sconce, in particular this vertical strap component:



So far I have a 3D Bezier curve with depth and extrude applied:



I have added a second Bezier curve with which I intend to taper the strap:



I select the main strap object and assign the taper object to be the second curve:



I cannot seem to adjust the taper curve in such a way as to achieve the desired effect.

Is this a good approach for this situation and if so, what can I do to get a proper taper on the strap? Are there other, "better" methods for this effect?
I would convert the curve to a mesh object with Alt+C> Mesh from curve/meta/ surf/ text. 

Next,  Tab into edit mode and enable proportional editing with O. 

Finally, select just the top few edge loops of the new object and scale while adjusting the proportional edit radius of influence with your mouse wheel until satisfied with the result.