Object Record
Images
Metadata
Catalog Number |
2023.027.001 |
Object Name |
Quilt |
Description |
This quilt depicts red, pink, and yellow flowers with green leaves. The pattern is called "Roses and Tulips," and can also be referred to as a "Rose of Sharon Variation." It was crafted in the late nineteenth century, circa 1870. The quilt's details were constructed using hand-pieced, hand-appliqued, and hand-quilted techniques. The quilt features nine "Tulips and Roses" blocks that are symmetrically positioned in a 3x3 configuration. The quilt design includes nine-inch sashing and nine-inch floral cornerstones. Each of the 17.5-inch blocks are identically constructed with period solids. The central unit is surrounded by a green zig-zag border with red tulips. This quilt is an excellent example of a well-made quilt from the 1870s. This quilt features the needle skills of the maker and a relatively rare quilt pattern, and it is in excellent condition for its estimated age. This quilt was passed down to the donor through his mother's father's family, who lived in Johnson City, Erwin, and Greeneville through the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Due to the estimated date of this quilt, the donor presumes that this quilt was made by an ancestor of his great-grandmother, Anna Elizabeth Smithson Bowman (1878 - 1955). The donor writes that this quilt came "from my mother's father's family, who lived in Johnson City, Erwin, and Greeneville at different points in the first half of the 20th century. They were ultimately in Johnson City from approx. 1935-1940. Anyway, I found this photo (image 6) recently of my great-grandfather, Francis Patton Bowman, and my great-grandmother, Anna Elizabeth Smithson Bowman, who lived in Montrose Court in Johnson City for many years. I believe she was the person who made the quilts--or at least her family. This photo is with her youngest son, Walter (who played football at ETSC), and I'm guessing the photo would be approx. 1915-1918." |
Date |
c. 1870 |
Dimensions |
H-82 W-86 inches |
Collection |
Historic Textile Collection |
Place of Origin |
USA/Tennessee/Johnson City |
Material |
cotton |
Subjects |
costume, clothing, and textiles |