Delectable Mountains quilt, or Sawtooth quilt

Delectable Mountains quilt, or Sawtooth quilt , circa 1880–1910

Where object was made: United States

Material/technique: appliqué; quilting; cotton

Credit line: Source unknown

Accession number: 0000.0141

Not on display

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Exhibition Label: "Geometric Abstractions: Quilts 1870 to 1990," Jun-2002, Samantha Schramm Quilt makers from the 1840s through World War I favored the visually stimulating combination of red and white. The bold form and strong color of the Sawtooth pattern accentuates visual qualities and leads the viewer to question the notion of quilts as soothing bedcovers. Exhibition Label: "Quilts! Imported Fabrics, American Treasures," May-2004, Barbara Brackman In 1868, chemists imitating natural dyes in test tubes learned to synthesize the coloring agent important in Turkey red. Using this easily industrialized synthetic dye, American mills launched production, focusing on simple solid-colored cotton, rather than more complex prints. The color, which was fast to light and washing, remained popular, particularly for two-color quilts like this red and white example, a style most common between 1880 and 1910. In 1925, the catalog from the Sears, Roebuck and Company mail order house spotlighted Turkey red’s charms: “All women who make patchwork quilts know this good cloth. The bright cheery color forms needed contrast to make patchwork designs stand out sharply.” The design is known as “Delectable Mountains,” a reference to the allegory Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan, “They went till they came to the Delectable Mountains…behold the gardens and orchards, the vineyards and fountains of water.”