Name/Title
CoverletEntry/Object ID
2009.009.1Description
This beautiful coverlet in indigo and white includes flower elements, weeping willow trees, eagle motifs, and geometric patterns. One side has patterns in blue on a white ground while the other side is reversed, white patterns on a blue ground. Text woven into the coverlet says "The Property of Samuel Salsbury Orleans County N.Y. 1840". This was most likely Samuel P. Salsbury (1813-1887), farmer and minister who lived in Murray, Orleans County, New York.Context
To procure a woven coverlet of this type an individual would commission a weaver to create the quilt and often have their name, year, and/or the place where they live. Occasionally the weaver would include their own name along with that of the commissioner. Weaving of this type was a male dominated profession at that time. Usually the commissioner would bring their own spun wool to give to the weaver.
In antique weaving, punched paper cards, also known as Jacquard cards, were used to control the pattern of woven fabrics by determining which warp threads to raise for each pass of the shuttle. Sometimes the card would become worn and there would be a dropped thread in the pattern. If you look closely you can see a line or dots here and there where this happened.Collection
Genesee Country Village and MuseumMade/Created
Date made
1840Place
County
Orleans CountyState/Province
New YorkCountry
United States of AmericaContinent
North America
