Woven Tied Beiderwand Coverlet
Dateca. 1870 (probably)
Artist/Maker
Henry F. Stager
ca. 1820-1888
MediumRed, dark blue, and lime green wools with white cotton (no fibers microscopically analyzed as of 10/31/91)
DimensionsSide 1 (top/bottom shirttail hems turned under): Rhand side 81" excluding irreg. fringe and 83 1/2" including fringe. Bottom 77 1/2" excluding fringe and 83" including fringe.
Credit LineGift of Mr. & Mrs. Foster McCarl, Jr.
Object number1991.609.13
DescriptionThis is a tied Beiderwand woven seamless coverlet in lime green, dark blue, and red wools with white cotton. The coverlet is self-fringed at sides with the lower fringe formed by loops of weft wools pulled through coverlet. The centerfield design consists of a large central medallion composed of a grapevine enclosing a simple foliage wreath and, in the center, a flower. Spread eagles fill each of the four corners of the centerfield. All four sides show the same border: large tassels alternating with swags over a small repeat of squares. Each of the four corner blocks contains the same design: a bird with a fruit in its beak perches on a branch and looks back over his tail. Woven backwards and forwards into the lower border is "MADE + BY + H + STAGER + MOUNT JOY/LANCASTER + C= + PA + FAST + COLOR + NO - 1".Label TextIntroduction Gallery:Most popular between 1830 and 1855, coverlets represent a transition in weaving technology. The introduction of the Jacquard loom attachment in the 1820s partially automated the weaving process, making complex motifs, like the florals and eagles seen here, easier to create.
Henry Stager, the maker of this coverlet, was known for the "excellent quality" of his coverlets, carpets, and counterpanes.
Provenanceca. 1870, made by Henry F. Stager (Mount Joy, PA); unknown date, unknown owner; prior to 1991, Foster McCarl Jr. and Muriel Phillips McCarl (Beaver Falls, PA); 1991, given to The Colonial Williamsburg Foundation (Williamsburg, VA)
