Quilt, Center Square and Bars pattern

Amish maker

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The inscription on this quilt, embroidered in red wool chain stitch, makes it one of the few Amish examples that can be securely dated to the nineteenth century. As seen here, the earliest Amish quilts were composed simply, with a strong central focus—a type of design thought to be based on central-medallion quilts popular in the "English" community during the early nineteenth century. This quilt was made in Lancaster County, where a limited number of pieced patterns are considered acceptable. It is an unusual rendition of the more common center-square pattern. The dark orange fabric on the top border, which does not match the other three sides of dark red, and the inner border on only on two sides give the quilt a less-well-planned, symmetrical appearance than later Amish examples. The influence of the area’s Germanic heritage can be seen in the traditional Pennsylvania German tulip motifs at the ends of the wide side borders.

The American Wing

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

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.

Metropolitan Museum of Art