Quilt No.350THS - Tamworth Historical Society Inc

Tamworth Historical Society Inc
Owner: 
Tamworth Historical Society Inc
Location: 
NSW North West Slopes
Maker
Maker: 
Henry Edward Jeffries
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Pieced Animal skins, Native Fauna
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Pieced skin rug made from 12 kangaroo skins. Skins are hand sewn. Nearly all the fur has worn off. No padding or backing. 1720 x 1450mm
History: 

Made around 1922 in the Tamworth District (NSW) by Henry Edward Jeffries (Ted), and used by him. Ted was the father of Audria Rodgers who donated it to the Tamworth Historical Society Inc. It is on display in the slab hut "Calala Cottage" in Denison Street Tamworth NSW.

Story: 

"I believe my father Henry Edward Jeffries used this rug before his marriage in 1924 and by the crude stitching I would say he made it. He used it when he camped while building roads in the district up until 1934. He would often camp from Monday till Saturday morning before returning home. It was not used at home except in emergencies - visitors in winter. As you can see there is hardly any hair left on it so I guess it has seen some hard times. As far as I know it has never had a backing."
[Audria Rodgers 15.11.1997]

Related Quilts:

Western Australian Museum
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
Julie Treacy
Quilt No.318JT - Julie Treacy
Animal skin rug made from rough rectangles of kangaroo skins, hand sewn together with leather thonging. Backing is woollen blankets. 2135 x 2057mm
Pieced Animal skins, Native Fauna
Name withheld
Quilt No.507HP - Name withheld
Wallaby skin rug backed with checked cotton material. 1220 x 610mm
Pieced Animal skins, Native Fauna
Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Quilt No.822TMAG - Tasmanian Museum and Art Gallery
Rug made from 40 quoll skins, 8 skins set in 5 rows. Skins are trimmed to rectangles and machine stitched together. Colours range from light cream to grey-brown with creamy yellow spots. The backing is dark green woven wool which extends beyond the top and is finished with a scalloped, punched edge. It is hand sewn to the top. 1575 x 1255mm
Pieced Animal skins, Native Fauna
Doris Gould
Quilt No.172DG - Doris Gould
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
Pieced Animal skins, Exotic Animals
Bud and Patricia Ford
Quilt No.120BF - Bud and Patricia Ford
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
Pieced Animal skins, Native Fauna