Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern, c. 1925
Top: plain-weave wools. Center diamond of purple is on a square of red triangles. The inner border repeats the same purple with corners of the same red. The outer border is a muted medium blue with corners of the same red. The binding is very dark green.
Back: blue-and-white plain-weave cotton chambray.
Quilting: Diamond has a large feather wreath encircling a multiple-line 6-point star within and unusual 3-branching flower with 6-petal blooms outside in each corner. Triangles of center square have branching rose and tulip motif. Inner border has "pumpkin seed" flowers within a diamond pattern. Corners have a ring of four tulip-like flowers. The four sides of the outer border each have four S-scrolled feathers with a C-scroll at each end. Corners have a well-executed compote of fruit.
Former label: "Wool absorbs dyes in an especially concentrated way, providing Lancaster Amish women with their particular lush palette. They characteristically balanced large, starkly geometric designs with elaborate, curvilinear quilting designs. While all of the quilting designs on this fine Diamond are from the standard repertoire, they have been selected from the fanciest end of the spectrum. Notice, especially, the floral urns in the large red squares."
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Kiracofe and Kile of San Francisco for $6,000 on June 9, 1981.
See existing Esprit condition report for numerous clusters of small moth holes and some soil. Most significant moth holes are in blue outer border, many of them about 1/8 inch dia. In addition are two 1" to 1.5" smears of light liquid soil near center of diamond.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Diamond in the Square pattern, circa 1925, embroidered initials "IL." Lively combination of the typical Amish palette.
Top: plain- and twill-weave wool. Blue-green diamond with dark red inner border has purple corner blocks. Triangles of square are nearly olive green. Inner border, 4" wide, is wine red with purple corner blocks. Outer border is blue-green with wine red corners. Binding is dark purple, 1 1/2" wide.
Back: blue plain-weave cotton. Initialed "IL" in pink cotton cross stitch in corner, similar to the following quilt.
Quilting: Diamond has a large feather wreath filled with a large, multilined 8-point star. Outside corners have "pumpkin seed" designs. Border of diamond has undulating grape and leaf motif. Triangles of center square have the branching rose and tulip motif and the inner border repeats the grape and leaf motif of the previous inner border. Outer border is filled with scrolling feather design extending through corner blocks.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Edward Brown of San Francisco on July 9, 1881 for $5,300.
See existing Esprit condition report for one 1/4" tear near binding and stains/soil. Additional dark brown stains noted near above hole in outer border, as well as tiny hole alongside above hole. Long tide lines of light brown liquid stains throughout one side of back indicate liquid.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Sunshine & Shadow pattern, circa 1927, made by Arie Esh for son Daniel's 1928 marriage. Initialed "DE" with red cross stitch at back corner for son Daniel. Common Amish practice was to provide new quilts for each child to take to their new homes upon marriage. Several may be provided for each child provided there were enough able quilters and time.
Top: Made of wools; plain- and twill-weave and crepe. Center field of pieced 2" squares in an arrangement that forms a diamond in a color sequence of purples and blues, red and black, with contrasting rows of bright green and pink. Inner border of royal blue with tan corners. Outer border of red with tan corners. Binding is emerald green, machine sewn to back, turned, and machine sewn to front with black thread.
Back: Green plain-weave cotton flannel, machine-joined in three widths.
Quilting: Cross hatch in centerfield, quilted across the diagonal of squares. Inner border has double-outline grapevine motif with very curving stem and grapeleaf in corner blocks. Outer borders have 5 baskets alternating with a 6-pointed star and scalloping along inner edge. Corner squares have a floral motif similar to P02.51.32. All motifs are double-outlined.
Note: Staff member Erika Belen reported that on 6/20/06, Reuben Esh inquired about this quilt. He recognized it as having been made by his grandmother and is sad that it left the family. Reuben operated the chicken stand at Central Market (across from Clyde S. Weaver's). See Fisher Book #2960 Amos Esh who married Arie Fisher and had son Daniel Esh #2969 who had a son Reuben #2978. A discrepancy is that the Fisher book records Nov. 16, 1933 as the marriage date for Daniel S. Esh and Susie Fisher.
Provenance
Esprit worksheet records "Bought from Barbara Janos" with no price or date, but likely in the 1980s.
Very good condition (see 1990 conservation report by Linnea Davis). Some whitish dots in centerfield and one in a corner block of outer border. Backing has one faint red-brown stain about 3/4" long. See also condition report by Miller & Zercher, 8-1-2013.
Lancaster Amish Bars quilt, c. 1920. Superb example of a simple design having no corner blocks or inner borders, and fine quilting.
Top is plain-weave wools. The four orange strips are 6 1/2"" wide. The three blue strips are 6" wide.
Quilting: Fine, dense waffle quilting throughout; bordering the outside edge of field is scalloping. Red outside border has gracefully scrolling feather quilting that includes a well-placed pineapple in the middle of the two long sides.
Pale blue one-inch binding.
Backing: One corner of the gray-and-blue cotton is pieced with a darker blue.
Provenance
Unknown. Purchased before 1984 since it was hanging in Esprit headquarters in Customer Service on 3rd floor as of June 1984.
One of six Esprit quilts chosen as a National Treasure by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2007. This was part of their "Picturing America" project whose aim was to tell the story of America through its art.
Binding is faded/worn; small tears beginning to form.
Object ID
P.02.51.38
Notes
One of six Esprit quilts chosen as a National Treasure by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2007. This was part of their "Picturing America" project whose aim was to tell the story of America through its art.
Top: twill-weave and crepe wool. Five brown bars alternate with five green bars, all 4 1/2" in width. Inner border of faded purple twill is 3 3/4" wide. Outer border of dark green is 12" wide. Faded blue binding is 1" wide.
Back: blue plain-weave cotton.
Quilting: waffle quilted throughout bars; inner border has "pumpkin seed" floral motif within a diamond pattern and an 8-pointed star at each corner; outer border has gracefully scrolling feather motif.
Cross stitched in red cotton along edge of reverse side is "JSB / 1925", for maker or recipient.
Provenance
Unknown. Used in Conference Room on 1st floor of Esprit bldg.
Colors faded, esp. blue binding. Ragged hole exposing batting approx. 1/4" in size is located near one corner (7" in from one edge & 4 1/2" in from other edge). Another nearby hole is much smaller, and yet another nearby area shows loss. Probably insect damage.
Object ID
P.02.51.39
Notes
One of six Esprit quilts chosen as a National Treasure by the National Endowment for the Humanities in 2007. This was part of their "Picturing America" project whose aim was to tell the story of America through its art.
Top: Plain- and twill-weave wool. Purple and dark green bars. The gray inner border and the maroon outer border are both lacking corner blocks. However, Beiler has given the suggestion of corner blocks in the outer border by double-quiilting the boundaries of each corner and placing an isolated feather circle within.
Dark green binding was machine applied and finished.
Quilting patterns are the traditional early ones: curved feather outer border, four-petal flower in a diamond in the inner border, and waffle quilting in the center Bars area. Additionally, each curve of feather quilting encompasses a star.
Attributed to Susan Beiler, daughter of "Blue Gate Dan". See Notes.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from American Hurrah in Oct. 1984 for $9,000.
Esprit condition report in file for details of stains/ soil, and discoloration. Small moth holes in maroon border and corner of back.
Object ID
P.02.51.40
Notes
Herr writes: "Blue Gate Dan is said to have been one of the first of the Lancaster County Amish community to open the doors to tourists. The farm in which this was made is located on the south side of U.S. Route 30 just east of Lancaster. It is still called the Blue Gate farm because of the blue painted gate in the front yard leading to the house. The Amish family that now owns the property has a produce and baked-goods stand located along the road next to that blue gate."
Lancaster Amish Bars quilt, circa 1920. Deep colors such as these are usually found in early quilts.
Top: Twill-weave wools. Seven-inch wide bars of blue and green with red inner border and blue outer border with green blocks.
Back: Black & white and blue & white chambray, machine joined in four widths. Just one narrow strip is in blue.
Quilting: Although the quilting of fine even stitches is excellent, the patterns are hard to see in dark colors. Outer border has baskets containing a tulip and tiny paired loops a the side of each basket handle. Baskets alternate with 6-point stars. A row of scallops along inner edge. The inside border has a double cable with 6-point star in corners. Centerfield is waffle.
Binding is red, machine sewn to the back, turned and machine sewn to front with black cotton thread.
North of White Horse, Lancaster County (Esprit Book, plate 43)
Provenance
Purchased by Esprit from the Holsteins for $10,000 on 6/12/1986.
Some fading of blue fabric. Some small holes and one tear, now darned, at back of binding in one corner caused by a heavy nylon strap sleeve, removed by conservator Linnea Davis. Other hole repairs made by Davis in binding (see file).
Double nine-patch pattern, c. 1929. Surprising placement of one light blue diamond amid the dark blue ones.
Top: Plain-weave, twill-weave and crepe wool and rayon. Ninepatch blocks are multicolored and alternate blocks are turquoise. Large open blocks at center are red. Inner border's diamonds are blue with purple bordering triangles and red corner squares. Outer border is Navy blue with red corners. Binding is green. Wool batting.
Back: Blue & white printed plain-weave cotton, machine-joined in 3 widths. Blue motifs are circles and scrolls. This is likely one of the largest scale prints used on Lancaster Amish quilts.
Quilting: Black cotton thread used, with some quilting at outer border done in carpet thread. Pieced blocks have crosshatching, turquoise open blocks have pumpkin seed flowers. Large red open blocks have 6-point stars and echo-quilted toward the center w/ 3 lines. Inner border has pumpkin seeds in diamonds and chevrons in triangles. Red corners have 2" hearts. Outer border & corners have scrolling feathers with scallops on inner edge.
Initialed "D. B." in satin stitch in back corner. America Hurrah states maker was Dorothy Beiler and family history says it was made c. 1929.
Provenance
Purchased by Esprit in January of 1982 from America Hurrah, NY for $8,000
Hung in the Production area of Esprit. Exhibited in 1990 at DeYoung Museum.
Linnea Davis states: "quilt apparently was used extensively. Likewise, it was dry cleaned and steam pressed. It has old stains and repairs. The backing shows evidence that the quilting was extensively re-done. The batting now is slightly bearding through the entire quilt surface." Davis removed Velcro strips and made tiny repairs, including overlay of tiny fractured 9-patch square in green silk/rayon with green silk crepeline. Dyes transferred from front to back via stitching. Separation at seam of two joined square patches
Lancaster Amish quilt, Basket of Chips pattern, c. 1925.
Top: Plain- and twill-weave wool. Multicolor pieced blocks and aqua baskets with wine red sashing; brown inner border and raspberry red outer border. Binding is unusually narrow at 1/2" wide.
Back: Tan plain-weave cotton.
Quilting: Waffle center blocks and clamshell sashing. Pumpkin seed inner border within running diamonds and S-scroll feather segments in outer border.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from America Hurrah on 10-21-1983 for $6,500.
Lancaster Amish quilt, Crazy Quilt pattern and rectangular shape, c. 1925. Although there are four similar Crazy Quilts in this collection, it is not assumed this was a common pattern among the local Amish. They consist of a small group of quilts influenced (like the Baskets pattern) by local "English" traditions, and likely made by only a closely related group of Amish women.
Top: Plain- and twill-weave wool and crepe wool, with cotton embroidery floss. Pieced Crazy patchwork blocks of multicolored solid colors are embroidered at seams with various "turkey track" stitches Blocks are set on point in centerfield with bright pink alternate blocks. Inner border is green with blue-gray corner squares. Outer border is blue with no corner blocks.
Binding is the green of inner border. It is machine sewn to front and whip-stitched to back.
Back: Black & white woven-check, plain-weave cotton. Machine-joined in 3 widths.
Quilting: Pink blocks have a single feather circle filled with cross-hatching. A single tulip is quilted at each corner triangle. Inner border has pumpkin seeds within triangle points. The corners have an 8-point star. Outer border has interlocking S-shaped feather scrolls. Very short feather segments added at odd intervals.
Note: Width discrepancy between top and bottom is 5 inches.
Provenance
Esprit purchased from Holsteins June 12, 1986 for $8,500. Reportedly made by Mrs. Gorman of Lampeter, PA. The Gorman name is not found in the Fisher book of Amish genealogy.
Quilt report of Jan. 1990 by conservator Linnea Davis. Outer border contains areas of abrasion, particularly along the "top", where adhesive was used to stabilize/stiffen fabric. Fabric is also fragile in inner border and very fragile on binding with some large old splits and holes. Some repairs with heavy black thread.
Backing has a small L-shaped tear about .75 x .50 inches, now repaired, with several other small tears.
