Quilt Block
PeriodCirca 1883
Place MadeRed Bank, New Jersey, U.S.A.
MediumSilk, silk satin, silk and cotton velvet, glazed cotton, silk and cotton embroidery floss
Dimensions14.25 × 11.5 in. (36.2 × 29.2 cm)
ClassificationsQuilts and Coverlets
Credit LineGift of Anna Louise Campbell Rudner, 1993
Object number1993.2.4
DescriptionAn unfinished quilt block in the Crazy Quilt pattern, possibly intended as a doll's quilt, made with patterned and solid silks, satins and velvets in rich jewel tones of black, blue, green, red, pink, and yellow with some plaid taffetas, sewn to a tan glazed cotton backing fabric with large basting stitches. Embroidery embellishments in red, green, yellow, and white embroidery threads in turkey and other stitches. Some pieces are turned under and blind stitched. The block is unfinished, with raw edges exposed along all four sides.Curatorial RemarksCrazy quilts became all the rage after the Civil War. Relying on elegant silk and velvet scraps often embellished with a dizzying array of embroidered stitches and motifs, these quilts were most often meant to ornament a parlor as a decor item, rather than as a practical item of warmth for the bedroom. Mail order catalogues even sold crazy quilt kits, allowing women to purchase a variety of pre-cut strips and shapes to assemble as one pleased.NotesThis quilt block, in a general "crazy" pattern, was made by Red Bank resident Anna Throckmorton Conover. Born in 1871, Anna lived in Red Bank all her life. She married fellow Red Bank resident Jacob Bergen Rue. At the age of twelve, Anna produced this block, using a lovely variety of silk and velvet dress weight fabrics. Anna Throckmorton Conover Rue died in 1957 at the age of 94.
Collections
ProvenanceAnna Throckmorton Conover Rue (1871-1957) to her daughter Margaret Rue Campbell (1896-1990) to her daughter Anna Louise Campbell Rudere (1923-2004)
