Coming from the East, the oldest quilts were brought back in the eleventh and twelfth centuries by the crusaders who found them particularly suitable to protect themselves from the cold and from the contact of their armors. In Europe, Naples and Sicily were the first important manufacturing centers for these luxurious products. 

Marseille, whose port was turned towards trade with the Levant and Italy, was a gateway for these fabrics.  King René (1409-1480), who administered both the kingdom of Naples and the county of Provence, encouraged the transmission of this transalpine art called Trapunto.

As early as the 14th century, Italian embroiderers settled in Marseille and set up small workshops at home. Phocaean productions were a flourishing success and spread throughout the kingdom. In the 17th century, five to six thousand professional embroiderers making every year between 40,000 and 50,000 pieces of raised white-work or embroidery (petticoats, coverlets, chauffoirs, layette pieces). Although other production centers exist, the pre-eminence of Provence is undeniable. 

Since the end of the 13th century, two guilds share, with the rivalries that it induces, this needlework technique: the quilters have the privilege of lining, stuffing, wadding and stitching fabrics. The embroiderers carry out the finest work such as embroidery with crimped cords. Grouped in workshops of various sizes, men or women with skilled hands made Provence renowned in the 17th to 19th centuries. 

Two types of production came out of these workshops: raised white-work and quilted fabrics, used for both home and clothing. In parallel to these structures, this art is also practiced within the family for the less well-to-do. A young bride's trousseau would not be complete without a "petassoun" or a quilted blanket. 

Offered at weddings or christenings, raised white-work present a codified iconographic repertoire of flowers, rosettes, hearts, plant garlands and crowns. A true language of signs understood by all, it is transmitted from generation to generation. Seeds are signs of abundance, the heart refers to love, and doves in a basket evoke a home that is being built. This symbolism is not specific to the work of boutis: it is also found on painted or carved Provencal furniture. 

Quilts or petticoats generally have a fairly simple design, consisting of lines of stitches parallel to the edges, a single or double grid, diamond-shaped, made in the technique of front-stitch. This is the basic stitch in sewing. The border is often more elaborate, with a network of interlaced curves.

To highlight the fabric used, the embroiderers use the "window composition". This arrangement features two fabrics on the right side. A plain fabric frames the center one, either shaped, embroidered or printed. It is also chosen when the embroiderers use a square or scarf originally intended to cover the shoulders.
 

The charm of quilted bedspreads lies in the combined use of different fabrics for the front and reverse sides. Intended to be completely hidden or partially seen, the less expensive fabrics are used on the reverse side. 

Linen cloth: Its robustness is particularly suitable for the elaboration of the elements composing the bed spread (quilt, mantling). It maintains flexibility and gives body to the beautiful prints chosen on the visible side. 

Woodblock printing: For the unique pieces handled regularly, the embroiderers used fancy fabrics with small geometric or floral designs, printed by woodblock in 2 or 3 colors. The Indian “chafarcanis”, woodblock printed fabrics in one or two colors, were very popular in the 18th century because they were part of the "entry-level" Indian fabrics. 

Cylinder printing: From the 19th century, cylinder prints produced in larger quantities replaced woodblock.

At the same time, the generalization of the use of the sewing machine also mechanizes the work of quilting. Made to order, that is to say to the shape of the piece, it participates little by little in the industrialization of its production.

In the 20th century, the development of a powerful textile engineering revolutionizes the industrial quilting of which Puzzle or Cocoon of the Boussac collection are the result.