Name/Title
New York coverlet woven for Phebe L. Stetson, doubleweaveEntry/Object ID
2017.1.142Description
This figured & fancy coverlet was woven for Phebe Louisa Stetson (b. 1828) of Oneida County, New York. An inscription along the bottom border reads "Phebe L. Stetson."
In the 1850 US Census of Oneida County, NY, Phebe L. Stetson is listed as the daughter of the farmers Ezra and Sarah Stetson, both originally of Vermont. According to _The Genealogy of the Cleveland and Cleaveland Families_ (1899), her middle name was Louisa and she was married to James Graham Burlingame on Nov. 25, 1851 in Sangerfield, NY. They had five children. She died on June 13, 1896, according to the New York death index.
The coverlet was woven in two panels, which are joined by a center seam. It has a centerfield pattern of large floral cross shapes on a background field of semi-random squiggles. The pattern repeats horizontally two times and vertically two and a half times, with the center of the floral motifs omitted in the final partial pattern repeat. It has wide floral vine borders on all four sides whose inner edges join seamlessly with the diamond motifs in the centerfield. There is an outer zig-zag border on all sides; the inscription on the bottom edge is below the zig-zag border. The coverlet has a light side and a dark side with no fringe. The doubleweave structure combines a layer of undyed cotton with a layer of red wool.Collection
ATHM CollectionAcquisition
Accession
2017.1Source or Donor
American Textile History MuseumAcquisition Method
TransferCredit Line
Transfer from the ATHM in Lowell, MA upon its closing in 2017Made/Created
Date made
circa 1850Notes
Woven for Phebe L. Stetson, who married and changed her name in 1851, when she was about 23 years old. Unless she requested her maiden name, this coverlet must have been woven prior to that date.Woven Textile Details
Weave Type
Doubleweave, Doubleweave 1:1Warp
Warp Colors
Natural, RedWarp Materials
Cotton, WoolWeft
Weft Colors
Natural, RedWeft Materials
Cotton, WoolInscription/Signature/Marks
Type
Border inscriptionLocation
LL, LRTranscription
PHEBE+ L+ STETSONMaterial/Technique
WovenNotes
The final letters of the name, "ON," are repeated along the center seam as a by-product of the pattern repeat. They are not a separate inscription.Other Names and Numbers
Other Numbers
Number Type
Old NumberOther Number
2004.98.4
