Quilt No.341ER - Ralph Parkes

Owner:

Ralph Parkes

Location:

NSW Sydney

Maker

Maker:

Unknown

Made in

AUSTRALIA NSW

Patterms

Pieced Animal skins, Exotic Animals

Date:

1921 - 1940

Description:

Rug made from 60 rabbit skins. Backing is brown flannel. The rug has a scalloped edge in brown flannel. 2100 x 1400mm

History:

Made about 1935 by a furrier in Sydney from skins provided by Ralph Parkes. Previously owned by his mother Elizabeth Caroline Parkes (Mrs Percy Parkes) and used at Lindfield (NSW) from the 1930s to the late 1950s. Owned by Ralph Parkes.

Story:

"The quilt was made as [a] deal with a skin dealer in Sydney about 1935. Ralph Parkes trapped and shot a chaff bag full of dried rabbit skins. Skins ran about 4 to the lb and were worth about 3/- to 4/- lb . The dealer tanned 60 large skins (there is debate as to if the dealer made the rug or if extra money was paid to have the rug made from the tanned skins. Completed rug was given to his mother Mrs Percy Parkes �
My father collected the skins while he was jackarooing, his father organized the deal with the skin dealer and the quilt was given to his mother my grandmother. The quilt is very heavy. Too heavy to comfortably sleep under."
[Elizabeth Roberts 11.11.97]

Related Quilts:

Quilt No.24WAM - Western Australian Museum

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.

Pieced Animal skins, Skin Cloaks

Quilt No.909MT - Marlene Toomey

Kangaroo skin rug featuring skins cut in diamond shapes. It is stitched with heavy cotton and the seams are oversewn. It is not backed. 1825 x 1290mm