This silk gauze material was painted in China and then imported into Europe to be made up as a quilt. Painted silks like this one were not very durable, as the paint rubs off the surface of the textile rather easily. Despite this, these floral textiles were perennial favourites from the end of the 18th century to about 1900. Quilt cover of white patterned silk gauze, painted in colours with vertical undulating floral trails with separated flower sprays between. Quilt cover, painted gauze-weave silk, China, Qing dynasty, ca. 1800-1810