Cherishing the legacy of George and Martha Washington, descendants frequently cut keepsakes from the couple's clothing. This fragment of wool cloth was bequeathed to the Mount Vernon Ladies' Association by Ann Pamela Cunningham (1816-1875), the Association's visionary founder. The piece was believed to have come from a cloak given to George Washington by Charles IV, King of Spain (1748-1819). Its royal and presidential associations ensured its survival in spite of its simplicity.