Title
Coverlet or blanket
Mediumwool
Object number00.221.545
Institutional Credit LineCourtesy of the New Bedford Whaling Museum
DescriptionA large coverlet with an off-white background and a blue pattern of rectangles and circular shapes. The coverlet has an off-white fringe."Most overshot coverlets were woven in the early 1800s on four-harness looms and could be woven by the home weaver. The more complicated summer and winter and double weave coverlets required more than four shafts and were largely the domain of the professional weaver. Inexpensive mill spun cotton yarn became available shortly after 1800 with the invention of the cotton gin. Until then farm families raised and processed flax for linen and sheep for their wool. Once home weavers could purchase cotton yarn for their warp, they stopped using their labor-intensive hand-spun linen. There was more time to weave for pleasure. Overshot coverlets quickly became a popular form of artistic expression. Professional weavers probably produced most of the summer and winter coverlets displayed here because of the number of blocks in the designs. The client selected a pattern from the weaver’s pattern book and often provided her own homespun wool. The coverlet became a collaborative effort between the client and weaver. Whether woven at home or by a professional, these coverlets with their colorful geometric patterns supplied both beauty and warmth to the household." Source, Mansfield Historical Society, CT: https://mansfieldct-history.org/exhibit-coverlet-1/
On View
On view
