Description:
Cotton whitework coverlet constructed of three panels of plain-weave cotton embroidered in loops, cut loops, knots, and cross and back stitch with thick, white cotton threads loosely twisted. Featuring the inscription "Charlotte Keser / Fletcher / Vermont / PAW / Aged 20 Ys / AD 1840" in the top center, over a footed trelliswork basket with a large flower and stems of grapes and leaves within a diamond shape of loops; and a border of a meandering vine on four sides with large flowers at the top corners enclosing the inscription, and grapes and smaller flowers on the sides, and two mounds of intertwining flowers on the bottom corners, and a border of hillocks (made of six rows of spaced knots in half circles) supporting flowering stems in every other hollow; and a 7" fringe on three sides and two cutout corners. This may be Charlotte Kezer (1820-1852) who married Joseph M. Howard (1815-1889), a farmer in Fletcher (in northwest Vermont, between Burlington and St. Albans, off of Rt. 104). The coverlet may have been by Charlotte Keserr or made for her by "PAW." The embroidery is done all in a style known as "candlewicking" because of the thick thread's resemblance to a candle's wick. The period term for this kind of embroidery is "knotted counterpane" as found in a c.1854 Illinois reference by Gail Bakkom and referred to by former Winterthur textile curator and author, Susan Swan.White bed coverings, such as this example with white embroidery or surface design, are referred to as "whitework," and frequently appear on examples dating to the early 19th century. Although more difficult to keep clean, white domestic textiles, especially those made from cotton, could be easily laundered. This example contains cut-out corners, and there is some discoloration.
Subjects:
Embroidery; Cotton; Textile fabrics Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+P.498 |
