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Borders of a Bed Curtain

Maker Unknown

Datec. 18th Century

Mediumsilk on linen, embroidered in a darning stitch

DimensionsMounted: 20 × 20 7/8 inches (50.8 × 53 cm)

Credit LineGift of Mrs. John B. Seymour in memory of her father, Joseph Hilton.

Object number1929.3.24

On View

Not on view

CopyrightThe images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextThe geometric relief pattern of a swastika seen in these bed curtain borders is attributed specifically to the Island of Melos in the Cyclades. By the late 18th century the island population had declined considerably, and very few full versions of these curtains remain intact today In the 19th and early 20th centuries, American and European museums’ collections included examples of textiles representing the woven history of many different global cultures. The Telfair Academy of Arts and Sciences [now Telfair Museums] received collections of textiles from various well-traveled Savannahians. The Hilton Textile Collection is mentioned in a 1937 WPA travel guide to Savannah; boasting that among other objects of material culture, the Telfair Museum of Art held an international collection of textiles. "The Hilton Collection of Textiles was presented by Ida Hilton Seymour as a memorial to her father, Josiah Hilton. Examples of old embroidery from England, Greece, Turkey, Persia and China are shown on head bands, waistcoats or yellowing handkerchiefs. Lace woven in Venice a century ago, French and Spanish brocades, and Indian weaving of a lost era display handwork artistry."

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