Tuesday, April 28, 2009

1848 Woven Coverlet




















I have volunteered to help an historical society identify some of its textiles. However, I know very little about woven textiles.

Anyone ever seen this weaver's name come up before? It reads in two corners in all caps with a dot between each word: MADE . BY . JOHN . SEIBERT . LOWHILL . T . LEHIGH CO - FOR. It also has the date 1848 in two corners. The donor's parents bought a farm house in PA in 1904 and found this coverlet on a shelf in the house.




Click here to email me if you can help me identify this weaver.

Thanks! Karen




ADDENDUM #1:

A fellow quilt historian wrote me after I posted to the AQSG discussion group:

There were 2 John Seiberts, Senior and Junior, both of Low Hill Twp., Lehigh Co., PA. Senior was born 1796 in PA, died 854, and his coverlets (some undated) were woven between 1843-51. The book I am using, Clarita Anderson, "American Coverlet Weavers and Their Coverlets", says it is impossible to tell whether Jr. or Sr. was the weaver, since they worked over the same period. There was also a son Peter, also weaving, and an apprentice weaver named Benjamin Hall working at the same place. Jr. was b. 1824, Peter b. 1821. Peter also uses "Made by" and "for" in his corner blocks.

Thank you to Xenia Cord

ADDENDUM#2:

Then I found another John Seibert signed woven coverlet on eBay the same day I posted my story on the AQSG discussion list. Item number: 180350973751. This one is dates 1844.





OTHER RESOURCES:


1) Click here Coverlets from the Historic Textile and Costume Collection.

2) check out the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art's coverlet and quilt collection.

Just enter "coverlets and quilts" in their search engine.

2 comments:

  1. 01/26/2012 right now there is a coverlet for sale in Terrell, TX with John Seibert name http://www.24-7estatesales.com/estate-sales/315

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thanks for the heads-up and the link! Karen

    ReplyDelete