Quilt, Star of Bethlehem pattern variation

Quilt, Star of Bethlehem pattern variation

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Unfortunately, little is known about the provenance of this quilt; however, it can be dated to the mid-nineteenth century by the type and palette of the brightly colored calicos. The clear hues of the reds and yellows are especially notable. This cheerful palette is shared by other quilts in the American Wing's collection, such as 46.152.2, 1980.498.3, and 2011.374, all of which can be accurately dated to the second half of the 1840s.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Quilt, Star of Bethlehem pattern variationQuilt, Star of Bethlehem pattern variationQuilt, Star of Bethlehem pattern variationQuilt, Star of Bethlehem pattern variationQuilt, Star of Bethlehem pattern variation

The American Wing's ever-evolving collection comprises some 20,000 works of art by African American, Euro American, Latin American, and Native American men and women. Ranging from the colonial to early-modern periods, the holdings include painting, sculpture, works on paper, and decorative arts—including furniture, textiles, ceramics, glass, silver, metalwork, jewelry, basketry, quill and bead embroidery—as well as historical interiors and architectural fragments.