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:

Ella Jarvis
Quilt No.242EJ - Ella Jarvis
Quilt made with a rectangular centre panel of cotton fabric printed with red poppies and black flowers in a japanese style. The panel is surrounded by a wide black satin border. The backing is of black cotton, covering a previous backing of green floral cotton fabric. The padding is feathers.
1700 x 1370mm
Patchwork, Frame
Muriel Hartmann
Quilt No.113MH - Muriel Hartmann
Domestic Wagga made from sugar bags joined together and covered with army blankets. Machine construction. Patching evident. Sugar miller's brand visible on one bag: " M--AQUIN, 70lbs, --- SUGAR, BUNDABERG"
1753 X 1347mm
Wholecloth, Domestic Wagga, Utilitarian, Typically Australian
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
Marie Thomas
Quilt No.465MT - Marie Thomas
150mm squares of old material scraps, mostly cotton, including some curtain material. There is no padding and the backing is brown lawn.
2540 x 2370mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Square
National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Quilt No.876NTNW - National Trust of Australia (NSW)
Pieced patchwork quilt of hexagons in cottons, chintzes and linen. The centre is pieced in 6 point hexagon stars, then radiating out are large hexagons alternating with tumbling blocks, then 6 piece hexagon stars and 4 piece hexagon diamonds. Some pieces have Egyptian patterns dating from 1800 - 1805. The backing is cream linen.
2450 x 2200mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon
June Dean
Quilt No.85JD - June Dean
Pieced hexagons, English paper method. Large hexagons form the centre with a border of smaller hexagons. The fabrics are all cotton in a wide range of colours and patterns. There is no padding. The backing is cotton, large white floral design on dark blue. The hexagons are hand pieced and the edges machined.
2480 x 1420 mm
Patchwork, Mosaic, Hexagon