Mayura Animal Velvet Cushion - Lavender

The Mayura cushion carries a single embroidered peacock, its body worked in gold thread and its long tail picked out in beadwork of green, bronze and pearl-white. That beading is the reason to look closely: the tail is built up from hundreds of individual glass and bugle beads, with rows of round pearl-effect beads set along its length, so the design catches the light and shifts as you move past it. The ground is a soft lavender velvet, a muted grey-mauve that lets the metallic embroidery do the talking. The square measures 55 x 55cm.

A square this size works as the anchor cushion on a sofa or a bed, the one you build a smaller pile around rather than one you scatter in a set. The lavender ground is quiet enough to sit against grey, plum, deep green or warm neutral upholstery without competing, while the gold and jewel-toned tail gives a plain scheme a focal point. It suits a bedroom in particular, propped against the headboard, and works equally on a reading chair or a window seat where the beadwork catches daylight.

The cover is velvet front and back, with a plain reverse and a matching Oxford edge, the flat border that frames the face of the cushion. It fastens with a zip along one side, so the cover comes off for cleaning and the filling can be plumped or swapped. The inner is filled with duck feathers, which give a soft, yielding fill that you can shape by hand and that settles into a natural drape rather than holding a rigid block. Given the beadwork and the feather fill, treat it as a decorative cushion rather than a hard-wearing everyday one, and handle the tail gently when you plump it.

Is the peacock embroidered or printed?

It is embroidered and beaded. The body is worked in gold thread and the long tail is built from glass beads with rows of round pearl-effect beads, so it stands proud of the velvet.

Can I take the cover off to clean it?

Yes. There is a zip along one side, so the cover comes away from the feather inner and the filling can be adjusted or plumped whenever you need to.

What is inside the cushion?

The inner is filled with duck feathers, which give a soft fill you can shape by hand and that settles into a natural drape rather than staying square.

What is an Oxford edge?

It is the flat fabric border that runs around the face of the cushion, framing the design like a picture mount and giving the square a defined, tailored outline.

Is this cushion suitable for everyday use?

With its beaded tail and feather fill it is best treated as a decorative cushion. Handle the beadwork gently and it will keep its finish for longer.

What colour is the velvet?

The ground is a soft lavender, a muted grey-mauve that sits quietly behind the gold and jewel-toned embroidery rather than competing with it.