Quilt No.387VM - Valda Mentjox

Valda Mentjox
Owner: 
Valda Mentjox
Location: 
NSW Sydney
Maker
Maker: 
Sam and Harriet Gibbs
Made in
AUSTRALIA SA
Patterms
Pieced Animal skins, Native Fauna, Exotic Animals
Date: 
1921 - 1940
Description: 
Skin rug constructed from 9 wild dog peltsand the 3 light coloured middle pelts are dingo. Backed by blue serge, then pink cotton. Originally had scalloped pink edge. Attached with large herringbone stitches. New backing was put on in 1954. 1360 x 775mm
History: 

Sam Gibbs, wild dog trapper, tanned the skins with wattle bark tan and put them together. His wife Harriet did the rest of the sewing. The skin rug was made in the late 1930s and given to the present owner, Valda Mentjox, when she was 4. It is still used.
1360 x 775mm

Story: 

Sam Gibbs (born 1886) was a wild dog trapper in South Australia. Doggers were paid for catching dingoes and dogs and Scorpion Springs, on the S.A. and Victorian border, and Emu Springs were likely bore holes for trapping. Sam married Harriet (born 1889) at Coorong School church in 1909. They had 11 children, 9 lived and 3 are still living (1998).
The skin rug was made in the late 1930s and given to the present owner, Valda Mentjox, when she was 4. She slept under it on car journeys and everyone in the family has used it ever since. It has never been used on the floor, always on a bed.

Sam Gibbs
Harriet in her vegetable and flower garden
The Gibbs home built by Sam Gibbs in the early 20s
Valda aged 2

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