Friday, November 12, 2010

Two Outstanding Acquisitions Planned

A pair of best-of-kind quilts are planned as new acquisitions.
Just as I thought my buying season had concluded, two outstanding quilts popped up in the same week, and I have decided to acquire them both. Each is a classic and unique example of the "New York Beauty" pattern, in earlier days called Rocky Mountain Road and Crown of Thorns. Both quilts are from this earlier era.


The first quilt, a rare example with zigzag vine and pomegranate sashing, is coming from Stella Rubin. It was published in an advertisement in the latest Antiques and Fine Art magazine, and a friend who quilts had seen it and mentioned it to me. Of course, I was on the phone with Stella as soon as possible, and arrangements are underway. I have seen just three examples like it, and all of them are on the Quilt Index.


The second quilt may be familiar to those who have seen the book Kentucky Quilts 1800-1900. It is in on page 15, in the preface of the book, and is coming from Susie Tompkins of Esprit courtesy of Julie Silber. Tompkins had acquired the quilt from Shelly Zegart in the early 1990's, around the time I started collecting. I have known about this quilt for a long time, and I'm thrilled to be adding it to my collection. This group of quilts has grown a bit over the last year, and I'm now thinking about where it could travel.

Christmas is coming early! Both of these quilts should arrive in time for the Oregon Quilt Project summit I have planned on December 5th in Eugene, and I'm glad to bring along some new eye candy.

5 comments:

  1. The green with zigzag and pomegranate is amazing! I'm so glad they are being added to your collection!

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  2. Fantastic quilts Bill!! Both are amazing in different ways. I love the funky zig zag vine applique!!

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  3. That zigzag vine motif is something I've seen in just a handful of examples of this pattern. I've never seen one for sale.

    That reminds me, I need to go out and get a copy of the Antiques and Fine Art magazine with the ad showing the quilt. Hope the readers don't want to buy the quilt - it sold before the magazine hit the newsstands. ;)

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