"Nine Snowball and Pine Tree" coverlet; geometric double-cloth; 1800-1825
date: label: date made
content: 1800-1825
name: label: maker
content: unknown
notes: label: Description
content: This white and blue, geometric, double-cloth coverlet features a “Nine Snowball” pattern centerfield and “Pine Tree” border. These patterns were developed in the German States of the Holy Roman Empire at the end of the seventeenth century and were initially used in damask linen weaving on a much smaller scale. Several German weavers published books during the Early Modern period, and they were translated into numerous languages and this style of block weaving, as it is known, spread across Europe. Immigrant weavers brought these structures and patterns to the United States, increased the scale of the patterns, and wove them as double cloth both for coverlets and ingrain carpet. This coverlet panel was initially woven as one length, cut, folded back on itself, and seamed up the middle to create the finished coverlet. The coverlet panel measures 78 inches by 69.75 inches. The “Pine Tree” borders found along three sides were created from fractional reduction of the main block patterning. While women were fully capable of weaving overshot and summer and winter coverlets on their own simple looms, many of the geometric double loom patterns required looms with multiple shafts and are traditionally associated with male, professional weavers. There is no information about who may have woven this coverlet or where it may have come from. Double cloth requires the use of two sets of warp and weft that exchange places, binding what would otherwise be two separate pieces of plain weave fabric and creating the color contrasting design. The white cotton yarns are all 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun and the indigo-dyed wool yarns are all 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun as well. According to the accession file, this coverlet was woven between 1800 and 1825. The donor believes that Priscilla and Sarah Furbee, grandmother and aunt of her husband John Kinder, carded, dyed the yarn used in this coverlet, and wove it as well. See the hand written note on an envelope in the accession file.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
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content: Coverlets
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content: Domestic Furnishings
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content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Mrs. Alice K. Withers
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T14207
label: catalog number
content: T14207.000
label: accession number
content: 274327
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, geometric
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: geometric (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: double cloth (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: wool, cotton (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: blue, white (overall color)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 78 in x 69 3/4 in; 198.12 cm x 177.165 cm