Tillet block

Wooden tillet blocks were used to stamp bales of cloth for export. The cloth was wrapped in rough fabric or paper known as tillet. During the 18th and 19th centuries textiles were exported from Britain to markets across the globe. Distinctive designs were stamped on the tillet along with details of the bale's contents for customs. The designs frequently incorporated the name of the manufacturer as an advertisement for potential buyers. It was also common for the block to feature imagery associated with the country or region it was bound for.

This tillet block was used to stamp bales of wool produced by the Exeter firm Banfill and Shute. It is one of a collection donated by the Ledger company, a family business based at the Horselydown printing works in Southwark from around 1810. The firm was originally established by Robert Ledger in the 1760s and traded as 'buckram stiffeners' and tilleters in both Southwark and the City of London.