Crib Quilt, Album pattern
An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art
Our red and green appliqued crib quilt is a rare example of a Maryland Album quilt in miniature. Its four blocks each contain a floral design similar to those found on large Album quilts, and the swag border is also a common finishing element for quilts from this period. The imperfect quality of the applique work throughout the quilt leads us to suspect that it is the work of a child. Stitching down the appliquéd designs so that they remained symmetrical and planning out the correct dimensions for each swag on the border would have been challenging even for an adult. Crib quilts are extremely popular with collectors today. Their small size makes them easy to hang as art, and the small-scale patterns are often very attractive. Even the rather worn and faded appearance of these often-washed quilts adds to their appeal; they have been preserved as precious objects, in remembrance of a time when a child was still small.
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.