Coverlet 1811 - 1814

Editor: Here we have Nancy Parker’s woven coverlet from around 1811 to 1814, now housed at the Met. It's deceptively simple, a field of interwoven texture ending in delicate fringe. What speaks to you most when you look at this piece? Curator: The dedication it took to make it! Think of the hours upon hours of hand-weaving that went into every inch of this. You see it wasn’t just a blanket, right? It was history. Every knot, every pass of the shuttle whispering tales of hearth and home. A world of woolen warmth to ward off the night chill, literally made by the hands of someone to share their space. Now what would you dream if it were tucked around you? Editor: That’s beautiful… It makes me consider the tactile nature of art, something we often miss when observing in a museum. I wonder, does the medium of fibre-art change how you perceive domestic objects from that period? Curator: Absolutely! Textile art anchors us to the lives of ordinary folks often missed by the historical records. These quilts and coverlets were functional, yet served as creative expressions and time capsules of the maker’s world. Perhaps it’s a humble notion, but consider this object being one of the oldest memories some people have to keep themselves comforted through generations? Editor: Thinking about it that way, its humbleness gives it even more strength, it being so profoundly relatable and yet historically rich. I’m seeing it in a completely different light now. Curator: Exactly! Art’s about re-seeing and finding our own stories reflected back, thread by woven thread.