Do you know why these ten turtles have long tails streaming behind them? In fact these are not supposed to be tails but seaweed— the result of a long life at sea. Turtles are a symbol of longevity and are used on many textiles with celebratory association. This four panel rectangular textile of hand-spun cotton was made to cover a futon, which would have been filled with fluffy cotton batting. This cover features the crest— a circle with three floral lozenge-filled hexagons— of the family that used it, indicating that this textile was custom made to order.