Pennsylvania coverlet by John Kachel for Maria Brinley, 1847, tied beiderwand
Name/Title
Pennsylvania coverlet by John Kachel for Maria Brinley, 1847, tied beiderwandEntry/Object ID
2008.1.288Description
Beiderwand; navy, red, green, natural; two loom widths joined; fringe on 3 sides; border on 3 sides; bottom of roses and leaves, sides of roses and distelfinks; two corner locks with 3 stars above names; centerfield contains rows of rosette clusters, starry medallions, leaves, and octagonal medallions, strips of color see 2008.001.0289 This figured & fancy coverlet was woven by John Kachel in Robeson Township, Berks County, Pennsylvania for Maria Brinley in 1847. The two cornerblocks read "M. by John Kachel Maria Brinley 1847." Maria Ann Brinley was born on September 29, 1816 to Samuel Liggett and Barbara Starrett, "the daughter of a prominent Berks County family." (The Brinelys of Pennsylvania: A Detailed Compendium of Eighty-Eight of One of the Earliest Families to Emigrate to America by Robert Brinley). In 1837, she married George Ross Brinley of Geigertown, Robeson Township. They had four children William, John H., Anna, and Mary Jane. Both daughters died before the age of six and William died at age 15. John Heber (named after the doctor who delivered him) was the only one to survive into adulthood. The Brinleys were able to ensure that John had a fine education. He was educated in "county schools, the Philomathean Institute, and the Collegeville Academy." In 1853, the family moved to Reading. They moved again in 1865 to Birdsboro. There, George and his son John laid the foundation and built a successful dry good store named in 1871 "George R. Brinley & Son." Mary died in 1875 and George in 1882. Years later, Mary's nephew, Hunter Liggert, would go on to succeed "General of the Armies John J. Pershing as commander of the 1st Army in France" during World War I (Brinley 15-20). The coverlet was woven in two panels, which are joined by a center seam. It has a centerfield pattern of ferns, double flowers, and acorn star motifs; the pattern repeats horizontally four times. It has a distelfink & rosebush border on the sides and a solid rose border on the bottom. The coverlet has horizontal color stripes of red, dark blue, and green wool on undyed cotton ground with self-fringe on the sides and applied fringe on the bottom. The tied Beiderwand weave structure uses light blue cotton tie-down threads in a 2:1 warp ratio.Collection
Foster and Muriel McCarl CollectionCategory
Distelfink