Quilt, Woodblock Prints

Date1785-1820

MediumCotton, linen

DimensionsOverall 95 X 99" Textile with dark brown ground in outside border: W: 33 3/4"; Repeat: 9 1/8" 64 warps per inch; 76 wefts per inch; Textile in center panel: W: 29 1/2"; Repeat: 5"

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1959-77,A-C

DescriptionThis is a rectangular quilt made of panels and smaller pieces of three different block-printed textiles. The center panel consists of a striped floral design alternating dark-ground and light brown grounds with small-scale undulating florals between the stripes, each stripe separated by a zig-zag red print. Around three sides of the quilt is a wide border of dark ground brown (or damson) stripes alternating floral bouquets and floral vines; separating the stripes are narrower brown and red bordered white stripes with small line and dot design in red. Across one end is a small-scale indigo-ground print of tiny triangles and triple dots.
The quilting pattern consists of small diamonds surrounded by concentric parallel lines echoing the smaller diamonds; the quilting is worked in 7-8 cotton running stitches per inch. The quilt is backed with coarse brown linen and has a thin batting. The edges are turned in and running stitched.
Label TextThis quilt consists of three different small-scale block-printed textiles. It appears that the quiltmaker may have been trying to re-use older panels and scraps of leftover textiles, resulting in a remarkably successful final product.
ProvenanceThomas and Constance Williams, Litchfield, Connecticut, by sale to Colonial Williamsburg.