Pieced quilt (Variable Star)
ca. 1840
Medium
Decorative Arts-Fiber
Classification
Decorative Arts-Fiber
Department
Smithsonian Collection
Museum
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Credit
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Patricia S. Smith
Accession Number
1998.149.27
Art Historical Context
Step into the cozy world of 19th-century American folk art with *Pieced Quilt (Variable Star)*, created around 1840 by an unidentified artist. This charming textile masterpiece, now housed in the Smithsonian American Art Museum, exemplifies the decorative arts-fiber category through its meticulous piecing technique—where small scraps of fabric are precisely cut and sewn together to form repeating patterns. The Variable Star design, with its dynamic star motifs, creates a sense of movement and celestial wonder across the quilt's surface. Crafted during a time when quilting was a vital domestic...
About the Artist
Unidentified ( ) · –