Quilts and coverlets, in addition to being examples of outstanding needlework and beautiful works of art, have symbolic value and functional purposes. They hold many meanings for people and have played a central functional role in the domestic interior for centuries. In his talk, Dr. Gerry Ward will examine some of the symbolic meanings of quilts, and also look at them in the context of the bed chamber, examining them as one element in a constellation of related objects and examining changing patterns and rhythms of life over and under the covers.