The birth of an infant was a private event but its christening in church marked its first public appearance and was an occasion to be celebrated. At christening and other ceremonial occasions, families wrapped their babies in christening blankets or bearing cloths. They were of rich materials, typically silk velvet, or silk woven or embroidered with a decorative pattern. This example is made up out of panels of a complex woven silk dress fabric. Such blankets displayed the wealth and status of their owners. They were used only on special occasions and treated then with great care, passing them down through generations.