“This museum is well known for its collection of around 250 quilts, which we show many of on period furniture. Our intention has always been to present the interiors in a way that suggests occupants have just left the room.
It’s incredibly rare, however, to have one as old and beautiful as this 300-year-old example, which we have borrowed from the Quilters’ Guild.
Textiles are susceptible to the ravages of time, and many quilts are practical things to keep you warm in bed. So everything that happens in bed tends to happen to the quilt too. This amazing piece is unlikely to have been used in that way though – I think it was originally produced to showcase the wealth and skill of the person who made it.
It is a mosaic patchwork made from exquisite silks, which would have been incredibly expensive at the time, stitched onto paper to create appliqué figurative shapes. It is double-bed size, so it’s not a small piece of work.
We have no idea who made many of our quilts or, indeed, when they were completed. We can make educated guesses based on examples that people have kept of similar fabrics, but unlike other great works of art, the makers did not bother dating or signing these masterpieces.
It’s exciting to see that this quilt has been dated 1718 and inscribed with the initials EH. Unfortunately, we have been unable to trace it to a specific family, but understand that it was originally made in Wiltshire, so it is returning close to home for its 300th birthday.
Considering it has experienced three centuries of fading, the colours are still astounding and, like so many quilts, the bold design provides insights into the things people of the time felt were important in their everyday lives.
There are areas that have deteriorated somewhat, but I find it exciting to see the papers that were sewn to the silks. On one, you can see figures in columns, which suggest that a page of an old accounts book was used.
I am a quilter myself and the chance to take inspiration from the collection was one of the main attractions of this job. One of the delights of patchwork is that it allows you to have a simple geometric block that you can arrange in a variety of ways to produce a wide range of designs and textures according to the tones of the fabrics.
Patterns emerge like magic. In fact, every time I take a textile out – even if it is what I consider to be an old friend – I can’t help but delight in the detail of the fabrics and stitching, and think about the person who made it.”
The patchwork coverlet is on display at the American Museum in Britain, Bath, until 29 July
It’s incredibly rare, however, to have one as old and beautiful as this 300-year-old example, which we have borrowed from the Quilters’ Guild.
Textiles are susceptible to the ravages of time, and many quilts are practical things to keep you warm in bed. So everything that happens in bed tends to happen to the quilt too. This amazing piece is unlikely to have been used in that way though – I think it was originally produced to showcase the wealth and skill of the person who made it.
It is a mosaic patchwork made from exquisite silks, which would have been incredibly expensive at the time, stitched onto paper to create appliqué figurative shapes. It is double-bed size, so it’s not a small piece of work.
We have no idea who made many of our quilts or, indeed, when they were completed. We can make educated guesses based on examples that people have kept of similar fabrics, but unlike other great works of art, the makers did not bother dating or signing these masterpieces.
It’s exciting to see that this quilt has been dated 1718 and inscribed with the initials EH. Unfortunately, we have been unable to trace it to a specific family, but understand that it was originally made in Wiltshire, so it is returning close to home for its 300th birthday.
Considering it has experienced three centuries of fading, the colours are still astounding and, like so many quilts, the bold design provides insights into the things people of the time felt were important in their everyday lives.
There are areas that have deteriorated somewhat, but I find it exciting to see the papers that were sewn to the silks. On one, you can see figures in columns, which suggest that a page of an old accounts book was used.
I am a quilter myself and the chance to take inspiration from the collection was one of the main attractions of this job. One of the delights of patchwork is that it allows you to have a simple geometric block that you can arrange in a variety of ways to produce a wide range of designs and textures according to the tones of the fabrics.
Patterns emerge like magic. In fact, every time I take a textile out – even if it is what I consider to be an old friend – I can’t help but delight in the detail of the fabrics and stitching, and think about the person who made it.”
The patchwork coverlet is on display at the American Museum in Britain, Bath, until 29 July
