Crazy Quilt

ca. 1880–85

Not on view

Crazy quilts, a fad in the last decades of the nineteenth century, were most commonly pieced from irregularly shaped bits of velvet and silk. This exuberant quilt is far more unusual, since its unknown maker chose to craft it from brightly patterned cottons. The cottons create an album of fashionable, though inexpensive, fabrics of the 1880s, including Egyptian Revival and Japanesque designs, children’s handkerchiefs, and pieces of “cheater” cloth—fabric that was printed to imitate patchwork. One of the handkerchiefs, printed with playing cards, is inscribed “ORIENTAL PRINT WORKS, APPONAUG, RI.” It is possible that this mill produced many of the fabrics found in the quilt.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Crazy Quilt
Date: ca. 1880–85
Geography: Made in New England, United States
Culture: American
Medium: Cotton
Dimensions: 80 1/4 x 80 in. (203.8 x 203.2 cm)
Credit Line: Purchase, David Scott Parker Gift, 2007
Object Number: 2007.342
Curatorial Department: The American Wing

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