Description:
Yarn-sewn hearth rug made of wool on linen with a large floral pattern of roses, pond lilies, morning glories and other flowers and leaves on a cream ground. According to a note that came with the rug, it was a gift to Nancy Hawks (1788-1869), daugher of Zur Hawks (1760-1844) and Martha Arms Hawks (1762-1831) of Deerfield, at the time of her marriage to Thomas Williams (1787-1869), the son of Dr. William Stoddard Williams (1762-1829) and Mary Hoyt Wiliams (1760-1821), in Deerfield on July 18, 1811. Thomas and Nancy Williams moved to Kirtland, Oregon, in 1838. These small rugs were used in front of fireplaces to protect floorboards or expensive carpets from being burned by flying sparks or from being worn out by shuffling feet. It is not known when these yarn-sewn hearth rugs first became popular in American homes, but by the 1820s, they were very popular, which continued until around 1850 when hooked rugs and the commercial production of hooked rug patterns began to replace them. The roses and pond lilies are in shades of reds and pink, and the other flowers in more neutral colors; the leaves and stems are in shades of gold. A curled S-shaped border, 2 1/2" wide, in shades of apricot edges the entire rug. The rug is worked in close running stitch leaving loops on the surface where there is design. The overall background has been clipped; the back is lined with pieced cotton.
Subjects:
Textile fabrics; Cotton; Linen; Wool Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=HD+96.054 |
