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Amgueddfa Cymru — National Museum Wales

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Patchwork bedcover

Person / Body: Williams, R. James (Master tailor from Wrexham (c.1818-95). Married Elizabeth Swinnerton, a dressmaker, in 1840. From the 1850s onwards, together with his wife and children, he lived and worked at 8 College Street, Wrexham.)

Patchwork coverlet made by the master tailor R. James Williams in College Street, Wrexham, between 1842 and 1852. It is made from 4,525 separate pieces of fulled woollen cloth, mainly military uniform, which are butt-joined with overcast stitches. Main colours are blue, red, brown, grey and fawn; background is composed of various combinations of small diamond patches, chevrons, squares and rhomboids; at the top centre is a crown, in each corner is respectively a rose, a thistle, a leek and a shamrock; remainder made up of figurative motifs: includes Telford’s Menai suspension bridge (completed in 1826), a Chinese pagoda, Jonah and the whale; Cain and Abel; Noah’s Ark with a dove; a central panel showing Adam naming the animals, with a giraffe, panther, elephant and various birds, and other animals; immediately below is Cefn viaduct near Ruabon (completed in 1848) with a steam train; finally a serpent, vulture and stag, an archer and a horse. Plain black border of fulled wool, not lined. Details are picked out through embroidery in silk thread (variety of stitches, including chain stitch).

Patchwork bedcover

Collection Area

Social & Cultural History

Item Number

35.632

Creation/Production

Williams, R. James
Role: tailor
Date: 1842 - 1852

Acquisition

Purchase

Measurements

height (mm):2340
width (mm):2010

Techniques

pieced
patchwork
embroidery

Material

wool (fabric)
silk (spun and twisted)

Location

In store

Categories

Wrexham Quilt Celf ar y Cyd (100 Artworks)

Comments - (2)

C Wilson
6 March 2020, 20:20
This is a wonderful piece, but that doesn't look like the Menai Suspension Bridge to me.
Thanks for the excellent images.
Richard Cluley
13 November 2019, 22:29
This James Williams quilt reminds me of a similar quilt in the British Folk Art collection at Compton Verney. See website fot Compton Verney quilt.
Comments are currently unavailable. We apologise for the inconvenience.

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Patchwork bedcover
  • Patchwork bedcover