Quilts of Provence

A celebration of the Provencal heritage of quilted items, from bedcovers and japons in brightly coloured floral patterns to small decorative accessories of great beauty and needle skills. The tradition began in China, crossed Persia and India to southern Europe, eventually spreading to the New World where it influenced the development of American quilt designs. This study gives Provences its rightful place in this history. It tells how this passage from east to west stopped for a time in Provence where quilting techniques flourished from the 17th century on, first in Marseilles, then through all Provence. The author shows how large commercial efforts brought about the exportation of these textiles, allowing their influence to spread outside Southern France.