Sunday, March 2, 2014

The Home Beautiful: The Golden Jubilee of King George III Cover, 1810



Bed Cover
Made for the 1810 Golden Jubilee
The Victoria & Albert Museum


This quilted patchwork bedcover of printed cottons was made in 1810 for the Golden Jubilee of Queen Victoria’s grandfather, King George III. At the center of the bed cover is a printed basket of flowers which includes lilies, carnations and daffodil buds. This basket is flanked by the rose and thistle, with a cluster of shamrocks beneath –the symbols of the Empire.

The panel is inscribed “G 50 R.” We should note that the floral border is a later addition. The cover has been created with both appliqué and piecing techniques to create the patchwork design.

An X-ray of the bedcover reveals that this was built upon an earlier quilt at the center which has been used for the padding. This earlier, eighteenth century quilt shows an all-over design of chevrons.
 




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