Quilt, pieced

The Mariner’s Compass pattern is among the hardest to create, due to the extreme precision with which the compass stars must be pieced together. Only a quilt maker with great skill would attempt to master this pattern. We have only one other quilt in the American Wing’s collection in this pattern, the virtuosic quilt made in Pennsylvania by Barbara Ann Miller in 1847 (2011.374). While the more subtle fabric choices in this quilt don’t match the flashy brilliance of 2011.374, it has other qualities to recommend it. First, the quilting in the plain white cotton areas is extraordinary—there are delicate stuffed and corded flowers, leaves, and bunches of grapes that weave sinuously through the white areas. There are only a few quilts in the collection that are graced with this type of labor intensive but beautiful stuffed work.

The second extraordinary fact about this quilt is that the borders and central parts of the compasses are made from a known American-printed chintz, one of the very few documented from the early period in the history of American textile manufacturing The Museum bought a piece of printed cotton chintz in 1938 (38.102) primarily because it bore a fascinating label on the back that read at center: Magueston & Co. / PREMIUM DAMASK / CHINTZ; [with pictures of two medals at top]; Left medal: AWARDED TO / Magueston & Co./ For Damask & Furniture/Chintz Prints/ 1850. Right Medal: AMERICAN INSTITUTE/ NEW YORK.