The table cloth is made of red woolen broadcloth. Broadcloth was produced from around 1600-1800, and was only produced later at very high, high prices. CW says this is likely west country cloth. Weren't not producing this in Yorkshire. The mbroideryis of moose hair, definitely with analine dyes.

The embroidery technique is tufts in french knots sewn on bark or paper. (CW has heard of birch bark patterns being used but hadn't seen an example). BM record says that the flowers are cardboard. Flat flowers are directly embroidered, with a paper backing. there is some writing in pencil on the paper backing. In quality, this is an example of the good quality items produced

The motifs are floral, and in the middle of the cloth there is a central ring. The four corners have floral triangles. The central circle is composed of eight large flowers, set in a circle of buds, leaves and tendrils. The triangles consist of similar arrangements, each with three large open flowers. The analine dyed moosehair is backed with cardboard to take the finished stitches. Two or three of the cardboard areas behind the triangles have names written directly behind the main flowers; since these are repeated in order it is possible, but highly speculative, that these could be the names of more than one person who worked on the cloth. The names are in part unreadable, but may be something like: Honore L'Angee, Georgina Launder, and Marjorie[?]. The central piece of cardboard seems to be inscribed with a price code on it, followed by a '$' and 'Envoie'.

This was the kind of cloth prized in a Victorian parlour.

Jonathan King (BM) says 1830-1890 Ruth wouldn't put it so late, neither would Cory, especially because of the cloth. The presence of dyes indicated post 1857. Therefore the date range they would give is 1857-1875 (RP/CW)

Curator's Comments: British Museum records: This is one of perhaps 6-16 such table-cloths, that were probably made between 1830-1890 by Huron embroiderers in Lorette. There is an example in the Victoria and Albert Museum in London from the 19th century animal products collection [?]. Two examples were purchased by June Bedford in England during the 1970s and sold to the National Museum of Man, Ottawa, (Canadian Museum of Civilization), or other museums. They were probably created to assist at international exhibitions in the selling of fur products. The nature of the embroidery makes them rather impracticable as tablecloths.

Christie's 9.3.1993. cover; p.6; lot 30.

Unknown artist, cloth, table. Currently in the British Museum, AM1993,06.1. Item photographed and described as part of a GRASAC research trip December 2007; GRASAC item id 24642.

This record was created as part of a Great Lakes Research Alliance for the Study of Aboriginal Arts and Cultures (GRASAC) research trip to the Pitt Rivers Museum and British Museum, Dec.8-22, 2007, funded by a grant from the International Opportunity Fund of the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC).