Quilt
The copperplate materials used in this piece date to the late eighteenth century. The block print used in the border dates to the early nineteenth century.
According to Colleen Callahan, Curator of Textiles at The Valentine Museum in Richmond, Virginia, the layout used on this quilt (the diamond within a square) was a favorite choice for early patchwork bedcovers originating in Eastern Virginia and North Carolina in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries. Callahan has stated that “with its artistic arrangement of block-printed and copperplate-printed textiles, this coverlet is a particularly elegant version of this regional style.”
DESCRIPTION: White ground with applique of copperplate-printed pattern in blues and reds; central motif of birds on foliage is set within a diamond which is set within a square; the diamond and the square have the same block printed fabric border; overall border is appliqued with copperplate-plate print. Appliques applied with reverse button-hole stitch in silk thread (colors used include ivory, pale pink, and gold); edges of appliqued pieces are not folded under; Borders do not have mitred corners. border depths are as follows:
bottom 15 1/2″; top 16 3/8; left side 12″; right side 12″.
The center piece (not including border) is 53 7/8″ to 55 3/8″ high and 55 5/8″ to 56 3/8″ wide.