William Lunn; jacquard, double-cloth coverlet; 1830-1840; Ohio
date: label: date made
content: 19th century
label: date made
content: 1820-1840
label: date made
content: 1830-1840
notes: label: Description
content: This Jacquard double-cloth coverlet was donated as "a pair of drapes." Colonial Revival décor favored antique coverlet portieres. It is thought to have been woven in Ohio in the 1830s and is inscribed with the initials "J.W." in each corner. Each of the two sections of the coverlet is 88 inches long, and 36 inches wide. The structure is composed of two sets of warps and wefts made up of 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun white cotton and 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun madder red and indigo-dyed wool. The centerfield pattern consists of meandering floral straight repeat, creating columns of flowers that change direction at the center due to the coverlet’s two-panel construction. The weaver’s masterful understanding of color led him to change colors both the warp and weft allowing flowers to change color and utilizing half-tones when necessary. A running flower and leaf border frames the entire coverlet with the initials interwoven at the corners in lieu of a traditional corner block.
label: Description
content: Jane Caughey (1795-1874), the donor's great grandmother, passed the coverlet down through the generations. Jane and her husband, William (b. 1781) were both born and married in Pennsylvania but lived most of their lives in New Concord, Muskingum County, Ohio. Jane and William’s first child, Rebecca Caughey Martin, was born in Pennsylvania in 1821. The first child born in Ohio, William, was born in 1832.
label: Description
content: This coverlet was woven using a Jacquard head, which wasn't readily available in the US until after 1820. These looms and the Figured and Fancy coverlets woven on them were almost always operated by male, professional weavers. The donor's claim that her great-grandmother wove this coverlet is almost certainly false, but the claim that she raised the sheep and prepared the wool used to make it are likely accurate. Coverlet weavers often advertised that they were taking orders and would provide the cotton yarns needed and any dying, if the customer supplied the spun wool yarns.
label: Description
content: This coverlet was probably woven by an Irish-born weaver named William Lunn (c. 1787-c. 1855). William and his wife Hannah immigrated to Pennsylvania sometime before 1820, as their son George was born in Pennsylvania in 1825-26. He first appears in Muskingum County, Ohio in the 1840 census, and both he and his son are listed as weavers in the 1850 census. William dies sometime in the 1850s, and his wife Hannah appears living with her son George who is recorded as a farmer in the 1860 Federal Census. The choice of both centerfield and border floral designs match those that appear on signed Lunn coverlets and the time frame and geography also lineup, suggesting that William Lunn wove this coverlet in the 1830s-1840s.
label: Description
content: The appearance of the "JW" initials found in the corners of the coverlet are a mystery. There is no one in that belongs to or marries into the Caughey family with initials that match. It is possible that Jane and William Caughey purchased this coverlet at a public vendue or bought a readymade coverlet for which another client had failed to pay. The association with Lunn makes this the only the eighth attributed William Lunn coverlet.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Ohio, Muskingum
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Coverlets
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content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Amanda Fildes
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T13519
label: catalog number
content: T13519.000
label: accession number
content: 254763
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, figured
label: Object Name
content: coverlet
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: jacquard, double-cloth (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: Figured and Fancy (overall pattern)
label: Physical Description
content: red, blue (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton, wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: natural (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 88 in x 36 in; 223.52 cm x 91.44 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 88 in x 36 1/2 in; 223.52 cm x 92.71 cm