NOTE OF THE DAY:

June 2015

Considering starting the blog back up ?

Monday 12 May 2008

The Tristan Quilt c. 1400 Sicily

(image thanks to the V &A Museum) see this link for more details: http://www.flickr.com/photos/medievalandrenaissance/sets/72157604922734293/



I was rather excited and perhaps a little shocked to find a reference to a medieval textile created in "quilting style" I don't 100% say it is a Medieval quilt as i guess we don't quite know what it was used for originally. But how fantastic would it be to own a quilt like this.



I discovered that there is a project to copy this quilt.


(photo from above website thanks to the V&A Museum)

Fascinating i think but now how was it done??



Anyone tried to do this kind of work ?? PLEASE send me a message would love to know what you did. Or do you KNOW ANYTHING about this, let me know. I have never done quilting before, but a quilt like that would look fantastic on my bed!


(photo credit and information: http://www.ilclubdelpuntoincroce.com/guicciardini_en.htm )


This is a study in progress i think, but underneath are a set of links that have information on the quilt or comments from people who have seen this quilt.

http://georgresearch.blogspot.com/2005/11/italian-guicciardini-quilt.html (good information)

http://medieval.webcon.net.au/loc_italy.html

http://www.sca.org.au/broiderers/newsletters/twelfthnight99.htm

http://www.bayrose.org/wkneedle/Articles/quilting.html

http://www.florilegium.org/?http%3A//www.florilegium.org/files/TEXTILES/quilting-msg.html (scroll down a short way)

http://www.florilegium.org/?http%3A//www.florilegium.org/files/TEXTILES/quilting-msg.html
Quotes form the V&A Website:

The Tristan quilt (bed cover) was made around 1400. Linen fabric has been quilted and padded with wool wadding with outlines in brown and white linen thread. It was made in Sicily, Italy and is 122 inches in length with a width of 106 inches.The legend of Tristan and Isolde was a favoured narrative in the Middle Ages and appears in many forms in literature and the decorative arts. The story represented here on a quilted linen coverlet, in fourteen scenes, is that of the oppression of Cornwall by King Languis of Ireland and his champion the Morold, and the battle of Sir Tristan with the latter on behalf of his uncle King Mark. Although in subtle shades, the large scale designs are very clear and the quilt must have looked particularly impressive by candlelight, with lively scenes of battles, ships and castles.More images of the quilt are available via Collections Online.Museum Number 1391-1904

4 comments:

Sarah Ketley said...

Can you imagine having a hanging like this on the wall??? or on the bed.... are you going to make one? maybe we can each try a pillow or something? what do you think?

Sarah Ketley said...

well i have started my own piece of Medieval quilting to see how it looks and how easy it is, and all i can say is WOW!!!

Pictures coming soon.

Cathelina said...

Man, you REALLY want comments on this!
When are pictures comming?

Freitemunde said...

mervellous work, congratulations, I´m sure there are lots of people who think not to has born in the correcte age, me, one of them. Well I collect medieval embroideries, and I´m so proud of my little museum, actually I´m tring to date a goldwork embroidery, made by rosettes into cicles, over a viaolet silk, the rosettes were a geometrical joke, with more than one into the circle, Did you saw anything similar, If you want I can sed you Photos, My mail is ilduaravalinha@terra.es, well, I´m spanish, sure you note it by my great engrish, congratulations again and good work. Roberto