Carriage Cushion Cover (Reindeer in Octagon with Birds)

Location: Sweden, Scania, Ingelstads district

Materials: interlocked tapestry

Dimensions: 58 x 100 cm

Accession Number: SW 20

Other Notes:

This is the first in an important group of five reindeer-design carriage cushions in the collection. These are the most sought-after compositions and have an instant and obvious charm. They are also significant because the design of animals in octagons has been one of the most widely used heraldic devices in European and Asian art for more than four millennia.

Bibliography:

V. Hansen, Swedish Textile Art: Traditional Marriage Weavings from Scania: The Khalili Collection, London 1996, cat. 19, pp.64–5.