Cat quilt
Unknown
ca. 1850 · Cotton · The American Wing
This quilt is a charming example of the outstanding creativity of some nineteenth-century American quilt makers. Following her own design aesthetic, the unknown maker created a unique quilt, featuring what we must assume were some of her favorite things—cats, plants, and love. Overall, it is a vibrant design, full of movement, from the inner spoked wheel that spins off vines in every direction, to the interplay and balance of the red and green designs. Bold and engaging pictorial quilts like this one are rare among mid-nineteenth century quilts, which are often follow more regimented patterns. Many of the motifs, such as the cats, hearts, trees, birds, and flowers were cut following paper templates, a technique that is commonly found in quilts made in New York State. For related, but far less fanciful New York quilts using the same paper template technique, see 1988.24.2 and 52.103.
- Artist
- Unknown
- Date
- ca. 1850
- Medium
- Cotton
- Culture
- American
- Department
- The American Wing
- Credit line
- Gift of Allison L. Reddington, in celebration of the Museum's 150th anniversary, 2020
