"Stuffed silk quilt, probably Indo-Portuguese work, earth seventeenth century 223 cm x 256 cm" and "Detail showing hunting scene"
"the magnificent full-sized quilt demonstrating a sophisticated design in stuffed quilting, thought to have been made early in the 1600's, was seen at Truro in Cornwall. The design has a large central rectangle surrounded by a wide border. The rectangle contains a circle showing a ship at sea bordered by a rim containing pictures of hounds and four male heads set north, south, east and west of the ship. The remainder of the rectangle has military/hunting scenes below and two examples of a double-headed eagle above. The borders containhunting scenes with hourses, stags, hounds, unicorns, gryphons and armed men dressed in wide breeches, doublets and helmets. The border is edged on both sides by a narrow twisted rope pattern. An extra linen backing has been added at some stage to the quilt and the design resewn.
"This quilt shows a number of design characteristics typical of Indo-Portuguese work and it's layout is remarkably similar to one described by Arvil Colby. Quite how a quilt of this origin ended up in the south-west of England is not known, but possibily, bearing in mind the seafaring activities of many Cornish men, it ws brought back after a long sea voyage." Quilter's Guild. Quilt Treasures of Great Britain. Rutledge Hill Press. Nashville, Tennessee. 1995. ISBN 1-55853-384-2
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