Large square woolen tablecloth or table cover commemorating the Great Exhibition of 1851. The ground is plainwoven with a very slight knap. The design is block printed using 223 blocks and copper plates (per the description in the official catalogue of the exhibition). The Arms of Great Britain are positioned in the center sourrounded by shields carrying the arms of other nations participating in the exhibition. The British arms consist of the seal of the Knights of the Garter with motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense" [trans. "Evil be to those who think it"] and the motto of the monarchy "Dieu et mon droit" [trans. "God and my right". Surrounding the British arms are the arms of the nations of Europe, including those of France, Russia, Spain, the Papal States, and others. Further out around the border of the table cover are the shields of nations such as Sweden, Greece, Portugal, Turkey, and others. In the four corners are the shields representing the four continents America, Asia (a crescent), Africa (a black man), and Europe (symbol of Europe). The shields are surrounded with strap-work in neo-gothic design, with trefoil crockets, and a floral rinceaux. Around the outermost border three phrases are written in Gothic block letters and repeated: "IN:TENUI :LABOR: AT:TENUIS: NON: GLORIA" [English translation: "The labor is on a slight (trivial) theme, but the glory is not slight." "LABORARE: EST: ORARE" [English translation: "To work is to pray." from the Motto of the Benedictine Order, "QUOD: OMNIUM: GENTIUMTANNOS:A:D: MDCCCLI: ARTIFICIA:APUD: BRIEXPOSITA: COMMEMORET" [translation is: "To commemorate the works (of industry) of all nations at the (British) exposition in the year 1851". A mistake in the Latin is shown in that there needs to be a space after "gentium" and "tannos" means nothing. "Apud Biexposita" [Translated "the Exposition in Britain,"] "at the British Exposition."[Alternate translation: Take the "bri"- from "briexposita" and the "tannos" from the "gentiumtannos" and the phrase "apud Britannos," meanings "in Britain," (TRANSLATION by: Sister Therese Marie Dougherty, SSND, Ph.D., Professor of Classics, College of Notre Dame of Maryland) The ground was originally a deep maroon, but has faded to a brown color. The coats of arms were printed in a indigo blue (now more Prussian blue but still vivid), an intense red, yellows (faded to lighter shade yellow), and tan or beige with dark brown outlines and markings. The table cover has a cut edge on all sides, in some places cut in a scallop and in others straight. The edges remain unhemmed and unfinished.