Pieced and Appliqué Quilt
From countless small pieces of solid and patterned fabrics, Miss Hensley uses random piecing and appliqué to produce a remarkably complex design.
Made by Marie Hensley, American, c. 1870 - 1932
Geography:
Made in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America
Date:
Early 20th centuryMedium:
Woven and printed cottons, silks, and wools with appliqué and pieced work; diagonal quiltingDimensions:
6 feet 7 inches × 70 1/2 inches (200.7 × 179.1 cm)Curatorial Department:
Costume and TextilesObject Location:
1996-107-1Credit Line:
Gift of the Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and partial gift of the Lindsey Family, 1996
Made in McDowell County, North Carolina, United States, North and Central America
Date:
Early 20th centuryMedium:
Woven and printed cottons, silks, and wools with appliqué and pieced work; diagonal quiltingDimensions:
6 feet 7 inches × 70 1/2 inches (200.7 × 179.1 cm)Curatorial Department:
Costume and TextilesObject Location:
Currently not on view
Accession Number:1996-107-1Credit Line:
Gift of the Friends of the Philadelphia Museum of Art and partial gift of the Lindsey Family, 1996
Social Tags [?]
african american [x] african american art [x] african american artist [x] black art [x] fabric art [x] female artist [x] folk art [x] needlecraft [x] piecework [x] quilt [x] quilting [x] symbolism [x] textile [x] woman artist [x]This African American quilt is a rare documented example from the early twentieth century. It was created by Marie Hensley, a domestic servant and seamstress in the mountainous western region of North Carolina. By piecing together countless small sections of solid and patterned fabrics and adding appliqués, Hensley produced a remarkably complex, rhythmic composition. Her techniques and asymmetric, kaleidoscopic design, while characteristic of late-nineteenth-century crazy quilts, may also reflect aesthetics associated with her African heritage. For example, various areas of this quilt feature staggered blocks of color created by vertical strips; this method, frequently used in West African strip-woven cloths, produces a seemingly improvised pattern characteristic of many African textiles. These intricate variations of pattern may derive from the older African American belief that such complexities protected the owner, since evil spirits would need to decode all of them before doing harm. While meticulous stitching was not an aesthetic concern to Marie Hensley, she paid close attention to the details of her design. Accented with appliqués of bold shapes, a silhouetted figure, eyes, snakes, a cross, lizards, and fish, this quilt is a highly expressive interpretation of a traditional needle craft.