Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Last Day in Williamsburg: DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum

A lovely silver gilt urn was one of the first things I spotted
After 2+ days looking at remarkable quilts, I decided to poke around the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum and look at some of the other displays. There were so many amazing objects to be seen. My head was spinning, and I must go back some time to see more. Here are some pictures of what I saw.

One of these Moravian flasks appeared on Antiques Roadshow years ago
Leeds Pottery Horse Figure, c. 1825, England
View of the regional furniture display
Another view of the regional furniture display
Charming school chair/desk. Looks more comfortable that the ones I used.
A handsome couple, but I'm afraid I didn't get their names...
Charles Wilson Peale's iconic portrait of George Washington
Early 1800s quilted handkerchief panel
Detail: panels were usually cut after printing, but this one remained whole
Embroidered work bag, c. 1675, England 
Beautiful quilted bonnet in pristine condition
What a spectacular collection they have! Every time I go to a museum of this caliber, I look closely at the methods of displaying objects. The quilt display was especially interesting to me. They were all displayed in cases, upright, and most were on panels set at a slight angle. This method of display takes a lot of the stress off the object, and I've seen it done before, but never throughout a whole exhibit.


Can't wait to go back. It's hard to believe it was only my first time visiting Colonial Williamsburg. I lived on the East Coast for more than 30 years, but somehow didn't get to places like Williamsburg and Winterthur. Had I known how great these places were, and how relevant they would be to me as a collector, I'd have gone frequently. If you haven't visited Colonial Williamsburg and the DeWitt Wallace Decorative Arts Museum, put it on your bucket list.

7 comments:

  1. Oh, wow! I'd really love to see that quilt display! Thank you for sharing.

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  2. My first trip to Williamsburg two years ago was amazing! Who knew!?! We plan on going back often!

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  3. we are going down right after christmas I can't wait!
    I am so looking forward to seeing these antique quilts, my favorites!

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  4. Oh My, I love that squirrel! Again, wish I were there!

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  5. What a wonderful place to visit - lucky you. I think that quilted bonnet is rather special - all the hand quilting on it.. and maybe it is trapunto as well?
    Thanks for the post
    Every Stitch

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  6. thank you for showing! would love to go there! An Moonen

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  7. Sometimes the greatest places and exhibits are in our backyard!

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