Quilt No.364BW - Bruce Wright

Owner:
Bruce Wright
Location:
NSW Riverina
Maker
Maker:
Bill Broadhurst
Made in
AUSTRALIA NSW
Patterms
Date:
1921 - 1940
Description:
Skin rug made from 40 rabbit skins, stitched in strips and then sewn to make 5 rows down the length of the rug. Three skins are missing. Tanned by hand with wattle bark, and hand sewn. No padding or backing.
1400 x 1100mm
History:
Made about 1940 in Tumbarumba by Bill Broadhurst, who owned the rug. Owned by Bruce Wright.
Story:
Bill Broadhurst was a mountain stockman and used the rug in the mountain leases.
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.
Rabbit skins sewn on to dark blue felt. Skins have been arranged to give a patterned effect. Centre has a rectangular lighter coloured skin with a further rectangle of darker colour in the centre. Skins are handsewn, with rat-tail braid on the reverse side. Blue felt has a pinked edge.
1440 x 1330mm
Rug made of 12 lamb skins stitched to a blue and grey checked bush rug.
1931 x 1525mm
Possum skin rug. Skins are recantular centre back pieces, approximately 230mm x 140mm. They are hand stitched together in 11 rows running the length of the rug. At one end, the last row of skins goes across the rug. The backing is stitched to the skins and is mainly grey woollen material with a green piece added at one end. There is a scalloped edge and dark blue rat tail braid on the back 60mm from the edge.
2025 x 1400mm
Skin rug of kangaroo or wallaby skins. Rectangular pieces stitched together.
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