Quilt No.577BJ - Betty Johnson
Owner:
Betty Johnson
Location:
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker:
Mr Schultz
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Date:
1941 - 1970
Description:
This rug is made from brown kangaroo skins. 10 whole backs and 4 half backs stitched in a diamond pattern with 4 whole skins in the centre. Machine construction. The backing is red baize with 40mm scalloped edge showing.
1740 x 1270mm
History:
The rug is owned by Kenneth Johnson and the skins were tanned and the rug made by Mr. Schultz at the Schultz Tannery in Wagga Wagga c.1965.
Jarvie McNickle and Russell (brother of Kenneth) shot the kangaroos at Hillston NSW.
Kenneth's grandmother, Mrs. Celia McNickle, gave the rug to him when he was 16, about 1965. Kenneth used it on his bed in Blamey Street, Wagga, took it to America and later to England. His mother, Betty Johnson, brought it back to her home in Wagga Wagga In 1999. It is not used now.
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.
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1550 x 1550mm
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Diameter 1449mm
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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