790 - A fragment of fabric from Voltaire’s bed in Ferney. [18th cent.] 3.8 x 0.8 cm, turquoise-blue and gold silk (slightly frayed). In original envelope, 2 x 4.5 cm (folded), 6.5 x 9.5 cm (unfolded), laid paper with partial watermark (“...AN”), inscription in brown ink by the sender. "Piece of fabric from Voltaire’s bed in Fernay [sic]" (slight wear and holes at the folds). A moving relic of the posthumous veneration of Voltaire in Ferney. After the philosopher’s death in 1778, his bedroom—which he used primarily as a study—continued to be a key stop for visitors. His friend, the Marquis de Villette, organized the veneration of his memory there, and Voltaire’s bed, known as the “Polish-style” bed, soon acquired the status of a true relic. Visitors would often cut off pieces of fabric from it to take home as souvenirs. This fragment was clearly preserved as such and carefully identified by its owner. The age of the paper, the handwriting, and the fabric appears consistent with an early collection, even though its attribution to Voltaire’s bed—in the absence of any other documented provenance—rests on the accompanying handwritten inscription. Ref. Website of the Centre des monuments nationaux: chateau-ferney-voltaire.fr, “Voltaire’s Bedroom” page. - Cf. KBR, Piece of Voltaire’s bed curtain at Ferney, Deville Collection, inv. J. Vercruysse, no. 468.