Crib Quilt
1822
Medium
Cotton, plain weave; quilted with raised areas (trapunto)
Dimensions
90.7 × 100.8 cm (35 3/4 × 39 5/8 in.)
Classification
textile
Department
Textiles
Museum
Art Institute of Chicago
Accession Number
147463
Art Historical Context
Step into the intimate world of early 19th-century American domestic life with this enchanting *Crib Quilt* from 1822. Crafted anonymously—likely by skilled hands in a household setting—this cozy textile measures a compact 90.7 × 100.8 cm, perfectly sized for an infant's cradle. Housed in the Art Institute of Chicago's Textiles Department, it exemplifies the everyday artistry of quilts, transforming humble cotton plain weave into a treasured family heirloom. What sets this quilt apart is its masterful use of trapunto, a technique that creates raised, sculptural areas by stuffing layers of fab...
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...