Bed Cover
ca. 1820-40 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
At the start of the nineteenth century, the British market was flooded with a new range of printed cottons. These were used for clothing and furnishings, including the creation of light, bright coverings for the bedroom. Tailors and dressmakers capitalised on consumer demand by offering fragments, cuttings and ready-cut patches for use in patchwork and quilting.
Printed panels also became popular. These were manufactured throughout the first few decades of the century, and were widely used in domestic needlework projects. Some celebrated military victories and coronations, but others were decorative examples that fitted with the trend for dense patterns and bright colours. The particularly large example at the centre of this bed cover was probably printed in the 1820s or early 1830s, at a time when the surrounding prints would also have been highly fashionable in middle class homes across Britain.
Printed panels also became popular. These were manufactured throughout the first few decades of the century, and were widely used in domestic needlework projects. Some celebrated military victories and coronations, but others were decorative examples that fitted with the trend for dense patterns and bright colours. The particularly large example at the centre of this bed cover was probably printed in the 1820s or early 1830s, at a time when the surrounding prints would also have been highly fashionable in middle class homes across Britain.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Quilted and printed cotton, backed in linen, embroidered |
| Brief description | Bed cover of quilted and printed cotton and backed in linen, England, ca. 1820-40 |
| Physical description | Quilted patchwork bed cover of printed cottons. At the centre is a printed panel showing a basket of fruit on a white ground. The ready printed centre shows a small bird perched on a basket of fruit including peaches, grapes, pineapple and strawberries. This is surrounded by nine patchwork borders of varying widths, including a border of hexagon rosettes, and a border in the design now known as 'flying geese'. The initials 'A.E.W.' are worked in cross stitch in the upper left-hand corner, and the initials 'I.K.' in the lower right. Four white corner blocks are embroidered with thistle, rose and shamrock motifs. The bed cover has a reverse of hand-woven white linen and is quilted in a herringbone pattern. |
| Dimensions |
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| Marks and inscriptions |
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| Credit line | Given by Mrs Jason W. Westerfield, in loving memory of Mr. Peter Floud |
| Object history | Most of the printed cottons date to the second quarter of the nineteenth century. |
| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | At the start of the nineteenth century, the British market was flooded with a new range of printed cottons. These were used for clothing and furnishings, including the creation of light, bright coverings for the bedroom. Tailors and dressmakers capitalised on consumer demand by offering fragments, cuttings and ready-cut patches for use in patchwork and quilting. Printed panels also became popular. These were manufactured throughout the first few decades of the century, and were widely used in domestic needlework projects. Some celebrated military victories and coronations, but others were decorative examples that fitted with the trend for dense patterns and bright colours. The particularly large example at the centre of this bed cover was probably printed in the 1820s or early 1830s, at a time when the surrounding prints would also have been highly fashionable in middle class homes across Britain. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | T.59-1967 |
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| Record created | June 19, 2007 |
| Record URL |
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