Coverlet
1841
Medium
Cotton and wool, plain weave double cloth; woven on loom with Jacquard attachment; two loom widths joined
Dimensions
223.7 × 179 cm (88 × 70 1/2 in.)
Classification
weaving - coverlet
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
64670
Art Historical Context
This striking coverlet, woven in 1841 by James Cunningham, exemplifies the innovative spirit of mid-nineteenth-century American textile. Measuring over seven feet in length, the double-cloth weaving combines cotton and wool in a durable yet visually rich. Created on a loom fitted with a Jacquard attachment, the piece reflects the early adoption of this revolutionary technology, which used punched cards to control intricate patterns—foreshadowing modern computing while enabling weavers to produce complex designs with greater efficiency than traditional methods. The coverlet’s construction, for...