September Antique Quilt & Textile Auction

Lot 16:

c1830s Patchwork Hexagon Chintz Bed Suite with Curtains

The auction will start in __ days and __ hours

Start price: $600

Estimated price: $1,200 - $1,800

Buyer's premium: 18%

You will never find another patchwork bed ensemble like this one! This bed suite consists of 4 pieces: a pair of bed curtains, a head wall cover and ruffle. The fabrics are c1820s to 1840s and mostly English chintz and other English cotton fabrics and repurposed probably c1920s with the yellow cotton backing and borders to fit with the décor of that time. The patchwork and much of the repurposing was executed by hand. Displayed as a quilt bed cover in the picture, but later believed to be a wall cover for the head of the bed, this piece measures 67.5in x 68in. Comprised entirely of hexagons .5in along one side. Many of the fabric designs are specialty cut to the center of the hexagon. The arrangement is quite unique> I have only seen this arrangement in one other piece, at the Historic Deerfield museum. There is a 3in yellow cotton border on the sides, 11.5in yellow cotton border on the top, and .25in woven tape edge along bottom. The bottom has slight cut outs to fit a bed. Between the hexagon hand pieced top and yellow back is a white cotton for stabilization. The piece is not quilted, or tacked. There are 2 bed curtains that are practically the same in construction with the exception of hexagon fabric placement. The curtains measure 89in x 81in each. Backed in a yellow cotton, seamed down the middle, then folded over to create the 3.25in borders. The corners are mitered. Mix of hand and machine work. There is the same woven tape along the top edge. And there are 25 brass rings along the top edge, 3.5in apart, for hanging. There is also a small linen tag with Bed Curtain Left Hand and Bed Curtain Right Hand, applied to top corners of the curtains. Ink and hand writing looks old, as does the fabric. It is hand applied. The last piece is the ruffle which may have been either a dust ruffle or a canopy ruffle. This was for a bed that was 54in x 70in. All 4 pieces together must have been beautiful. The white center is linen…two lengths 18.5in wide, seamed down the center, by machine. Yellow cotton attached by a combination of hand and machine. Again, the hexagon top has a white cotton behind it.