Tickets
English
DonateMembershipTickets

Quilt (or decorative throw), Crazy pattern

ca. 1877
Not on view
This Crazy quilt is exceptional for a number of reasons, the most important being that it is one of a few well-documented examples of a mourning quilt. It was made as a memorial after the death of twenty-year-old Grace Gertrude North (1856–1877), the only child of Tamar and Benjamin North of North's Landing, Indiana. We assume that Tamar North started work on the quilt soon after her daughter's death. If it was indeed made in 1877, this is a fairly early example of a Crazy quilt. It is pieced of silk and silk velvet, but there are also pieces of cotton and cotton lace. According to family history, North made the quilt from pieces of Grace's dresses, and the types of fabrics utilized seem to bear this out. Many symbols of Grace's death ornament the quilt, such as her birth and death dates, an angel, and her name with a calla lily to each side.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Quilt (or decorative throw), Crazy pattern
  • Maker: Tamar Horton Harris North (1833–1905)
  • Date: ca. 1877
  • Geography: Made in North's Landing, Indiana, United States
  • Culture: American
  • Medium: Silk, silk velvet, cotton, and cotton lace
  • Dimensions: 54 1/2 x 55 in. (138.4 x 139.7 cm)
  • Credit Line: Gift of Mr. and Mrs. John S. Cooper, 1983
  • Object Number: 1983.349
  • Curatorial Department: The American Wing

More Artwork

More Artwork
Pitcher, Mottled brown earthenware, American
Pitcher
American
1800–1900
Quilt (or decorative throw), Roman Stripes pattern, Julia Perry Brigham American, Silk, silk velvet, and cotton, American
Quilt (or decorative throw), Roman Stripes pattern
Julia Perry Brigham
ca. 1865
Plate, Olga St. John, Porcelain, overglaze enamel decoration, American or German
Plate
Decorator Olga St. John
Manufacturer Manufactured by Rosenthal
ca. 1900
Quilt, Presentation pattern, Mary Hergenroder Simon American, Cotton and silk velvet, American
Quilt, Presentation pattern
Designer Designs attributed to Mary Hergenroder Simon
ca. 1849
Side Chair, Frank Lloyd Wright American, White oak, leather, American
Side Chair
Frank Lloyd Wright
ca. 1902–3

Related Content

Timeline of Art History

Entries and chronologies from The Met's art encyclopedia.

Publications

Books, guides, and catalogues published by The Met.

Research Resources

The Met provides unparalleled resources for research and welcomes an international community of students and scholars. The Met's Open Access API is where creators and researchers can connect to the The Met collection. Open Access data and public domain images are available for unrestricted commercial and noncommercial use without permission or fee.

To request images under copyright and other restrictions, please use this Image Request form.

Feedback

We continue to research and examine historical and cultural context for objects in The Met collection. If you have comments or questions about this object record, please contact us using the form below. The Museum looks forward to receiving your comments.

Send feedback

Content Notice

The Metropolitan Museum of Art presents over 5,000 years of art from around the world, and our online collection reflects ongoing work conducted over the course of our more than 150-year history. You may encounter objects or images that may be inappropriate for some viewers or information that may be outdated.