Swigget Family coverlet; overshot; 19th century; Tennessee
date: label: date made
content: 1800-1850
notes: label: Description
content: This overshot coverlet is constructed of two panels which were woven as one length, cut, and sewn up the center. The pattern is a variation of “Queen’s Fancy.” The weaver used 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun cotton in the warp and weft to create the plain weave ground and madder-dyed Z-spun wool singles for the supplementary pattern weft. The coverlet was received by the museum as two separate panels. The center seam was often removed to wash coverlets because of their size and their weight when wet. Also, during early Colonial Revival design, overshot coverlets like this one were repurposed as table runners, portieres, and other decorative objects outside of bedcoverings, and it is not uncommon to find them as separate panels. The overall coverlet measures 90 inches by 74 inches. Each panel is 37 inches wide. According to the donor, this particular coverlet descended in the Swigget family and was used as portieres. It is claimed to have been woven in Tennessee in the early nineteenth century.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Tennessee
setName: label: See more items in
content: Home and Community Life: Textiles
label: See more items in
content: Coverlets
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content: Textiles
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Grace Kiess Swigget through Samuel A. Swigget
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TE.T9998A
label: catalog number
content: T09998.00A
label: accession number
content: 176711
objectType: label: Object Name
content: coverlet, overshot
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: overshot (overall production method/technique)
label: Physical Description
content: queen's fancy (overall pattern)
label: Physical Description
content: orange (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: blue (overall color)
label: Physical Description
content: wool (overall material)
label: Physical Description
content: cotton (overall material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 90 in x 74 in; 228.6 cm x 187.96 cm