Quilt No.958NGA - National Gallery of Australia

National Gallery of Australia
Owner: 
National Gallery of Australia
Location: 
ACT
Maker
Maker: 
Convict Women
Made in
SHIPBOARD England
Patterms
Frame, Motifs or Names, Patchwork, Typically Australian
Date: 
pre 1850
Description: 
"The Rajah "quilt" is a patchwork and appliquéd bed cover or coverlet. It is in pieced medallion or framed style: a popular design style for quilts in the British Isles in the mid 1800's. There is a central field of white cotton decorated with appliquéd (in broderie perse) chintz birds and floral motifs. This central field is framed by 12 bands or strips of patchwork printed cotton. The quilt is finished at the outer edge by white cotton decorated with appliquéd daisies on three sides and inscription in cross stitch surrounded by floral chintz attached with broderie perse on the fourth...
History: 

"Convict women made the quilt en route to Australia, in 1841, on board the Rajah. The ship left Woolwich on 5th April and arrived in Hobart 19th July �.. with 179 women prisoners. There were possibly twenty-nine convict women on board the ship who worked the quilt. Extensive information is held at the NGA on the details of the voyage and the women who were transported to Australia upon the Rajah." [NGA]
"Little is known of the past owners of the quilt. It is believed that the quilt was presented to a government official soon after the Rajah's arrival. In 1987 the quilt was discovered in a private collection in Scotland. In 1989 it was purchased and donated to the National Gallery of Australia by Les Hollings and the Australian Textile Fund" [NGA]

Story: 

"The fabrication of the Rajah quilt was organised by prison reformer Elizabeth Fry and the 'British Ladies Society for the Reformation of Female Prisoners', who were all members of the Quaker religious order. A woman listed as a free passenger of the Rajah, Miss Kezia Hayter is conjectured to have been the supervisor of the creation of the quilt and the needleworker of the most skill in its fabrication; she probably did the inscription panel." [NGA]
"One of the border bands carries an inscription in very fine cross stitch (18 stitches/cm). The inscription reads:
TO THE LADIES Of the Convict ship committee This quilt worked by the Convict of the ship Rajah during their voyage to Van Diemans Land is presented as a testimony of the gratitude with which they remember their exertions for their welfare while in England and during their passage and also of proof that they have not neglected the Ladies kind admonitions of being industrious * June * 1841 *" [NGA]

Related Quilts:

Joyce Lannin
Quilt No.1027JL - Joyce Lannin
A frame quilt with a pattern using hexagons from crepe de chine and silk material. The centre frame consists of a blue rosette of hexagons surrounded by six rosettes or flowers all with black centres. These are surrounded by rows of hexagons and then a row of flowers and then more hexagon borders. The owner refers to the pattern as 'Grandma's Garden'. 2550 x 2550 mm
Patchwork, Frame
Margery Creek
Quilt No.409MC - Margery Creek
Medallion style all cotton quilt made in the USA. Hand pieced with centre panel of 'cheater' material pre printed in a patchwork design. Bordered with 'Nine Patch' and sashing. The backing is printed cotton and the padding is cotton. The quilt has yellow tufting or ties in wool.
1855 x 1525mm
Patchwork, Pieced Repeat Block
Annette Gero
Quilt No.857AG - Annette Gero
This domestic Wagga is two layers of woollen army blankets with the top layer in rectangles joined in rows. The backing is hessian bags that originally contained meat meal.
11650 x 1130mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Typically Australian, Domestic Wagga
Mare Carter
Quilt No.62MC - Mare Carter
Patchwork quilt. All cotton with cotton filling. Entirely made of hexagons, patterned and plain. 6 hexagons surround a central one. Colours, red, blue, yellow and white. Hnad stitched and hand quilted.
2108 x 1702mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
Barbara McCabe
Quilt No.197BM - Barbara McCabe
Patchwork quilt made from squares of cotton fabrics, from curtains, left over from dress making projects, and new fabrics. Colours are bright primaries and some pastels, prints are checks, florals, stripes and plain. Pieces were stitched together without any particular order. No padding or quilting. Backing is a cotton bedspread in turquoise and blue stripes.
2520 x 1600mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
Valinda Gale
Quilt No.161VG - Valinda Gale
Patchwork quilt made from squares of cotton prints in florals, stripes, spots and checks, joined together in rows. Colours are predominantly blues, reds, yellow and pastels. Binding is of turquoise blue fabric. Materials appear to be from the 40s or 50s. Patches caught in the middle with a woollen knot - red, yellow, blue wool. No quilting. Backed in blue fleecy flannel.
Single bed length and width.
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square