Quilt No.900MV - Museum Victoria
Owner:
Museum Victoria
Location:
VIC Melbourne
Maker
Maker:
Unknown
Made in
AUSTRALIA Vic
Patterms
Date:
1851 - 1880
Description:
Possum skin cloak. Possum skins sewn together with vegetable fibre or kangaroo sinew. Designs incised into the skins, some of which are decorated with ochres.
2070 x 1540mm
History:
The cloak was made by an unknown Aboriginal person from Lake Condah in Western Victoria in 1872.
Story:
"Only five possum skin cloaks made in south-eastern Australia before 1900 have survived. Two are in Museum Victoria's collection. The others are in museums in Britain, the U.S.A. and Germany.
The meaning of the designs on this cloak were not recorded. However, designs could represent clan design, natural features, animals and plants." [Dr. Michael Pickering 23.8.00]
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.
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1550 x 1550mm
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Diameter 1449mm
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1550 x 1300mm
3 fragments of koala bear skin joined with very fine stitching. Uneven edges. Thought to have been part of an aboriginal cloak or rug.
Skin rug made from feral cat skins and probably some wallaby pelts. There are 28 individual skins and colours are dark brown, creamy yellow and striped and spotted light and dark brown and cream. One cat pelt measures 495mm. The striped and spotted skins indicate tabby cats. The backing is maroon felt extended to form a pinked and scalloped edge. The top is attached to the backing with hand stitching incorporating faded red ric-rac braid along the seamline on the back.
1680 x 1300mm