TEXTILES

Textiles are one of the most interesting and diverse areas of collecting and therefore not surprisingly one of the most difficult to  understand or appreciate. My early collecting interests in Canadian country furnishings lead me to appreciate quilts, cross stitch samplers, table rugs ( penny matts) and  show towels, but the list of other areas I overlooked is extensive. During a lecture held before one of the spring Hartford Antique shows I became enlightened as to that the historic value of fabrics, quite often the most valuable household goods in many societies regardless of social status, logically because of the skill, labour to produce them, hence their status in society. I now find myself more interested in 16th and 17th century stump work caskets, Charles the I embroideries and stitched panels, but am still drawn to beautiful quilts, abstract whimsical hooked rugs and the exceptional artistry and interpretive creativity that can be found in one off and unique creations by our ancestors.