Crazy Quilt
ca. 1880–1900
Medium
Wool with wool and silk embroidery
Dimensions
71 × 71 in. (180.3 × 180.3 cm)
Classification
Quilt
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift of the Zelanka Family, in honor of Bernard and Rhoda Zelanka, 2016
Accession Number
2016.108
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the vibrant world of late 19th-century American artistry with this *Crazy Quilt*, crafted around 1880–1900. Measuring a generous 71 × 71 inches, this square wool piece, adorned with intricate wool and silk embroidery, exemplifies the "crazy quilt" craze that swept across the United States. Unlike traditional utility quilts with orderly blocks, crazy quilts featured an exuberant patchwork of irregular fabric scraps, transformed into a canvas for elaborate needlework. This anonymous maker's creation bursts with whimsical motifs—cows, elephants, roosters, horses, women, and children—sti...
About the Artist
Unknown
The artist designated as "Unknown" in our virtual museum's collection exemplifies a poignant chapter in art history: creators whose identities have faded into obscurity despite the enduring power of their work. With only one known artwork attributed to them in our holdings, this figure represents countless anonymous hands that shaped visual culture across centuries. Museums worldwide, including th...