Quilt No.256MM - Migration Museum
Owner:
Migration Museum
Location:
SA Adelaide
Maker
Maker:
Unknown
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Patterms
Date:
1901 - 1920
Description:
Possum skin rug, the colour of fur a tan, browny-white, made of rectangles of skins stitched in three rows. Backing fabric is dyed heavy cotton or linen, a plum purple on the back but a faded brown colour on the fur side. The backing fabric has been pinked around the edges to create a scalloped border. The skins were handsewn together, then sewn on to the backing fabric. Some stitching holding fur to backing has come undone.
1580 x 1198mm
History:
Maker unknown. Owned and used by the Everard Family, and more recently by two unmarried sisters, Grace Evelyn Everard and Ruby Clarice Everard. Probably made before World War I. The rug would have come from one of 3 Everard homes, 'Ashford', 'Marshfield' or Hillsley'. Donated to the Migration Museum (SA).
Related Quilts:
Kangaroo skin cloak of seven gores is made from the skins of seven grey kangaroos (Macropus fuliginosus). The skins vary in size and shape, the inner five are roughly triangular. The cloak is edged with a series of loops, through one of these near the collar is a piece of cloth which appears to have tied the cloak together. The skins are sewn together with two sorts of linen or cotton thread. In a small diamond-shaped gusset at the back of the neck there are some stitches of sinew. The skins are sewn together by means of a small hem which was turned back on to the fur, so stitches went through two layers of skin on each gore. There are some small holes in the skins. The skins are very soft and pliable, and greyish in colour; they vary in size and shape.
Longest part: 800mm
Ref: MA Thesis 1973, S.Meagher 'A Reconstruction of the Traditional Life of the Aborigines of the S.W. of Western Australia.
Round rug of whip tail wallaby skins pieced into centre circle. Skins have been joined and then stitched on to maroon baize backing which has traditional punched scalloped edge. The skins are wattle bark tanned.
Diameter 1449mm
Fox skin rug made from 28 winter fox skins, with turquoise green felt backing and with green felt scalloped edging. Part of some tails as edging remain. Skins hand pieced together, top sewn to backing by machine.
1550 x 1550mm
3 fragments of koala bear skin joined with very fine stitching. Uneven edges. Thought to have been part of an aboriginal cloak or rug.
Skin rug made from feral cat skins and probably some wallaby pelts. There are 28 individual skins and colours are dark brown, creamy yellow and striped and spotted light and dark brown and cream. One cat pelt measures 495mm. The striped and spotted skins indicate tabby cats. The backing is maroon felt extended to form a pinked and scalloped edge. The top is attached to the backing with hand stitching incorporating faded red ric-rac braid along the seamline on the back.
1680 x 1300mm
Skin rug made from 50-60 rabbit skins in various colours, pieced in a diamond pattern. Dark diamond in centre, a diamond of dark honey colour, then a band of dark, another of dark honey, a band of grey, a band of honey, with corner triangles of grey. Rug is backed with blue felt, and has a scalloped edge of blue felt. Hand sewn. Skins tanned with wattle bark tanning solution.
1550 x 1300mm