Antique Trapunto Quilt. 

Size: 89 X 87 in. 

#8031 . 

Trapunto, from the Italian for "to quilt," is a method of quilting that is also called "stuffed technique." A puffy, decorative feature, trapunto utilizes at least two layers, the underside of which is slit and padded, producing a raised surface on the quilt. The style originated in Italy before the 14th Century. Trapunto is often confused with the relatively similar techniques used in making traditional whole cloth Provençal quilts that were developed from the 17th Century onwards in France. One of the earliest surviving examples of trapunto quilting is the Tristan Quilt in the Victoria and Albert Museum, a linen quilt representing scenes from the story of Tristan and Isolde which was made in Sicily during the second half of the 13th Century. Another piece of the Tristan Quilt, thought to be a companion piece to the one in the Museum, is in Palazzo Davanzati in Florence. In modern times the technique is more rarely seen, with the most recognizable example being its use for the iconic inner-tunic collars worn in Starfleet uniforms from "Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan." As of the 1980s, functional trapunto machines were exceptionally rare, and the specialized needles which they employed were even rarer. Paramount Studios was in fact responsible for the creation of a new set of needles in order to continue producing the uniforms for their future films, and most are now found in museums.