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2018.609.12, Woven Coverlet
Woven Tied Beiderwand Coverlet, “Double Rose” Pattern and “Oak Leaf” Border, by Philip Rassweiler
2018.609.12, Woven Coverlet

Woven Tied Beiderwand Coverlet, “Double Rose” Pattern and “Oak Leaf” Border, by Philip Rassweiler

Date1845
Maker Philip Rassweiler
OriginAmerica, Pennsylvania, Schuykill County
MediumWool and cotton
DimensionsOH: 97 ½” x OW: 82 ¼”
Credit LineGift of Susan Brundage Ullrich
Object number2018.609.12
DescriptionThis is a green, blue, and red woven coverlet with an inscription that reads, “MADE BY PH. RASS=WEILER 1845” in both the bottom left and bottom right corner. The coverlet features stripes in order of green, red, blue. The coverlet’s motifs are colored, while the ground is off-white. The centerfield consists of a “Double Rose” pattern, along with floral medallions. The border along the top and sides features an “Oak Leaf” pattern. The bottom, flanked by the two inscriptions, shows a border of alternating leaves and blossoming flowers. The corner blocks feature Rassweiler’s inscriptions. This coverlet is an example of Tied Beiderwand weaving, in which the weaving’s pattern is tied down by the warp. This weave structure results in reversibility and small ribs on both sides. The coverlet has a four inch long fringe on the bottom and sides. The top has a rolled hem of 3/8 inches that is rolled to the back. There is no center seam. The coverlet is missing a small portion of fringe, approximately 1 ¼ inches long, in the bottom right quadrant. “MADE BY PH. RASS=WEILER” is woven in navy yarn on an off-white ground. Below is a bar of woven red yarn, followed by “1845.” woven in green yarn on an off-white ground. The right-side inscription features a small red chain-stitched curved line next to “1845.”
Label TextThis woven coverlet, made by Philip Rassweiler in 1845 as indicated on the coverlet's bottom two corners, is a beautiful example of the woven coverlets produced in Pennsylvania in the middle of the nineteenth century. With its "Double Rose" centerfield, "Oak Leaf" border, and stripes of red, navy, and green, it features a combination of patterns and colors seen so often in Pennsylvania woven coverlets of the period, but rarely all together.
MarkingsNone
ProvenancePurchased by donor on July 26, 1980, at a summer antique show in DeKalb County, IL.