Mariner's Compass Quilt

Barbara Ann Miller

1847 · Cotton and linen · The American Wing

This beautiful quilt, signed in the center in ink “Barbara Ann Miller/her quilt/1847”, exemplifies the German approach to the English tradition of quiltmaking. Pennsylvania German quilts are typically more boldly colored and patterned than those from other areas of the Northeast. The emphasis on ornate patterning is thought to reflect the influence of the German and central European folk-art traditions that the Pennsylvania Germans carried with them to America. The Mariner’s Compass pattern, which demanded incredibly precise stitching, was one of the most popular sewn by Pennsylvania German women in the nineteenth century.

Artist

Barbara Ann Miller

Date

1847

Medium

Cotton and linen

Culture

American

Department

The American Wing

Credit line

Gift of The Hascoe Foundation, 2011