{"title":"VINTAGE WORLD TREASURES","description":"\u003cp\u003eUnique, one of a kind exotic treasures to hang on the wall, display as art, or use as it was intended.\u003cbr\u003eAll these are one-off vintage and antique finds, so when they’re gone they’re gone!\u003c\/p\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"enormous-hand-woven-moroccan-bedcover-made-indigo-sabra-silk","title":"Enormous Hand Woven Moroccan Bedcover Made  Indigo “Sabra Silk”","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis unique bedcover is truly enormous! A handwoven masterpiece made from Moroccan “Sabra silk” this beauty will easily drape over the largest standard bed size.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe texture is truly luxurious. Imagine the softest silk you’ve ever felt, but the weight of a wet towel. It’s very heavy, far heavier than anything we’ve ever felt.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize: 285cm x 170cm (111“ x 66”)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e”Sabra silk” is a bit of a mystery. Supposedly it’s made from the fibre of an agave plant, but there is no evidence to support that. \u003cbr\u003eIt’s more likely to be a commercial cellulose fibre such as rayon which has been hand spun and hand dyed before hand weaving on a large loom somewhere in the Atlas Mountains.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWhatever it is it feels amazing. The patterns are traditional Moroccan motifs, woven into the design. It’s also in almost perfect condition with delightful colour variation and natural fading.  \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIdeal as a bedcover for a Super King size bed (US King) or a sofa throw.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDry clean only. \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Biggs \u0026 Hill","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58635323474294,"sku":"ARD-Sep26-01","price":495.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0676\/4799\/6181\/files\/E82BF7A2-D2CA-4677-BC60-3856B9D85BC8.jpg?v=1789269492"},{"product_id":"chinese-double-sided-wedding-bedcover","title":"Chinese Double Sided Printed Textile or Bedcover","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA wonderfully unusual large printed textile, probably dating from the \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e1950s–60s\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, and most likely intended as a lightweight bedcover or decorative furnishing cloth.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize: 230cm x 200cm (90” x 78”)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe design draws strongly on Chinese decorative traditions, with birds, bamboo and foliage surrounded by geometric borders and circular motifs which appear to incorporate stylised \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eshou characters — symbols of longevity\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. The whole textile has been designed as a single composition, centred around a small medallion.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eLook closely and the design is perfectly symmetrical horizontally and vertically, probably created by mirroring a quarter of the original pattern. Even small printing irregularities are reflected, while some of the Chinese characters consequently appear reversed.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe lightweight cloth has a \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eslightly crêped texture and fluid handle\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e. It’s possibly \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eramie (historically known as “grass linen” or “China grass”) \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ealthough the fibre hasn’t been lab tested. The colour-fast print penetrates the fabric remarkably well, making the textile decorative from either side, with beautifully fine machine-finished hems.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eStylistically and technically, we believe it is \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eprobably Chinese and mid-20th century\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e, although without a surviving label its precise manufacturer and origin remain unknown.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eA fascinating meeting of traditional Chinese symbolism and bold mid-century textile design — and one we’d be very tempted to \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003ehang as an enormous piece of textile art\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Biggs \u0026 Hill","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58635506450806,"sku":"FB-SEP26-01","price":195.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0676\/4799\/6181\/files\/0F976677-30C7-44FA-8C88-A2C30B581B5F.jpg?v=1789269550"},{"product_id":"vintage-chinese-blue-jiaxie-wedding-quilt-face-drama-pattern","title":"Vintage Chinese Blue Jiaxie Wedding Quilt Face – Drama Pattern","description":"\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eA remarkable vintage \u003cstrong\u003eBlue Jiaxie (蓝夹缬) wedding quilt face\u003c\/strong\u003e from the Wenzhou area of southern Zhejiang, China, probably dating from around the mid-20th century.\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize: 230cm x 190cm (90” x 75”)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlue Jiaxie is an extraordinary traditional form of \u003cstrong\u003ecarved-board resist dyeing\u003c\/strong\u003e. Long lengths of cotton were folded and tightly clamped between intricately carved wooden boards before being repeatedly immersed in blue dye. The protected areas remained pale, creating the wonderfully detailed blue-and-white designs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe finished cloth was then cut into four lengths and stitched together to form the quilt face. The backing would have been made from lengths of indigo cotton and stuffed with a cotton filling. \u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe really interesting part is the imagery. The quilt contains \u003cstrong\u003e16 different panels depicting theatrical characters and scenes\u003c\/strong\u003e. Drama-patterned Blue Jiaxie was a particular tradition of the Wenzhou region, with imagery drawn from popular local theatre and opera. Rather than simply decorating a wedding quilt with flowers, its makers effectively covered it with scenes from a performance.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAmong the designs is what appears to be the traditional \u003cstrong\u003eDouble Happiness (囍)\u003c\/strong\u003e motif, an auspicious symbol particularly associated with marriage. Blue Jiaxie quilt faces themselves were an important part of local wedding traditions and were still being made and used during the mid-20th century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe textile shows the fading, wear and irregularities expected from an old handmade piece, but \u003cstrong\u003ethe blue colour is very stable and the textile is machine washable\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it wonderfully usable as well as collectible.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wenzhou region, southern Zhejiang, China\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Probably mid-20th century\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cotton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blue Jiaxie \/ Lan Jiaxie (蓝夹缬), carved-board clamp-resist dyeing\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Biggs \u0026 Hill","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58675282837878,"sku":"CP-SEP26-01","price":550.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0676\/4799\/6181\/files\/A46B9CE0-7925-4782-A493-1D31E9B64D9C.jpg?v=1789269492"},{"product_id":"vintage-chinese-blue-jiaxie-wedding-quilt-face-drama-pattern-1","title":"Vintage Chinese Blue Jiaxie Wedding Quilt Face – Drama Pattern","description":"\u003ch3 class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchorContainer\"\u003eChinese Blue Jiaxie Textile – Traditional Drama Pattern\u003cspan class=\"PDq2pG_selectionAnchor\"\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\n\u003c\/h3\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA striking \u003cstrong\u003eBlue Jiaxie (蓝夹缬) textile\u003c\/strong\u003e from the Wenzhou area of southern Zhejiang, China, made in the traditional style of the region’s blue-and-white wedding quilt faces.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eSize: 225cm x 200cm (88” x 78”)\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eBlue Jiaxie is an extraordinary form of \u003cstrong\u003ecarved-board resist dyeing\u003c\/strong\u003e. Long lengths of cotton are folded and tightly clamped between intricately carved wooden boards before being repeatedly immersed in blue dye, creating the detailed blue-and-white designs.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis piece features \u003cstrong\u003ethe same 16-panel drama pattern as an older Blue Jiaxie wedding quilt face in our collection\u003c\/strong\u003e, with theatrical characters and scenes alongside traditional auspicious imagery. Drama-patterned Jiaxie was particularly associated with the Wenzhou region, where these textiles formed part of local wedding traditions.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis example appears \u003cstrong\u003emore recent than our other piece and may be a later reproduction of an older traditional design\u003c\/strong\u003e. Unlike the older example, it doesn't appear ever to have been made up into a quilt: the cut ends are neatly finished and we can find no evidence of previous attachment to a backing. We haven't been able to establish its exact date, so we're selling it simply as a fascinating example of the tradition that has become a very rare craft.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe \u003cstrong\u003eblue colour is very stable and the textile is machine washable\u003c\/strong\u003e, making it a wonderfully usable piece as well as an interesting example of this unusual textile tradition.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOrigin:\u003c\/strong\u003e Wenzhou region, southern Zhejiang, China\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eDate:\u003c\/strong\u003e Unknown; probably later production in a traditional design\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMaterial:\u003c\/strong\u003e Cotton\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eTechnique:\u003c\/strong\u003e Blue Jiaxie \/ Lan Jiaxie (蓝夹缬), carved-board clamp-resist dyeing\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Biggs \u0026 Hill","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":58675287196022,"sku":"CP-SEPT26-02","price":495.0,"currency_code":"GBP","in_stock":false}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0676\/4799\/6181\/files\/CB6CAEC6-EC6B-4551-864F-E5D8055506D0.jpg?v=1789269494"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0676\/4799\/6181\/collections\/64ED8E7B-263C-4BAC-A846-D83579EA5CE8.jpg?v=1789303535","url":"https:\/\/www.biggsandhill.com\/collections\/vintage-world-textiles.oembed","provider":"Biggs \u0026 Hill","version":"1.0","type":"link"}