RARE Antique Baltimore, MD Calamanco Reversible Whole Cloth Quilt c 1790-1810

Item #U-2297    $1195


 

Calamanco quilts are the oldest and rarest bedcovers to survive the ages, and this example dates to the late 1700's to early 1800's, making it over 200 years old!  The oldest quilts known today are Whole Cloth quilts made of several panels ~ the panels in this particular quilt, which was deaccessioned from the Baltimore Museum of Art, measure 23-1/2" wide.  According to the BMA, this quilt was a gift to the museum from Emma Needles Dixon in 1944.  These quilts were usually made of wool or wool/silk combinations.  The name Calamanco comes from a Spanish term for worsted wool, and is a glossy fabric which was used for many early bedcovers.  The glazed effect was sometimes made by rubbing the cloth with stones or by applying gum or wax to the wool.  Usually these quilts were owned by wealthy aristocrats because of the cost of importing the fabric and having them professionally quilted.  The front of this quilt, in golden brown, is a wool/silk combination fabric, with a very thin brown wool for the batting.  The back is a finely woven brown wool fabric and the binding is silver-grey wool.  We have never seen quilting as fine as this example, and we've had thousands over the years!  It was quilted with a combination silk/wool thread with a center medallion consisting of roses and pomegranates surrounded by a feather wreath.   Angle quilting, roses and oak leaves make a rectangle around the feather wreath, with a frame of running feather wreaths, and oak leaves and acorns on the borders @ 18 to 20 very neat and very, very tiny stitches per inch counting one side only!  We did find some fabric breaks (as shown) to the golden silk/wool fabric and a fold line hole that goes clear through.  Although this quilt isn't in perfect condition, it's extremely rare to find these early Calamanco quilts, as most have found homes in collections or museums.  Don't miss out on a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to own a fabulous early quilt to complete your collection!

1870s Hand Pieced Album Patch Antique Quilt in Muted Colors

Item #U-2290    $750

From the 1870's comes this HAND PIECED Album Patch quilt.  The patches were made with cotton scraps including a bright blue strip with a floral center on a chocolate brown print with colorful florals, and it's counterpart on an olive green ground used for a few pieces and for the frame, with a creamy white for the background.  The striped pattern makes this ordinary Album Patch extraordinary!  Measuring 85" x 73", it has a thin cotton batting with seed fragments, a hand applied pink floral on tan binding, and a creamy white back.  HAND QUILTED with outline quilting around the Album Patches, angle and diamond quilting on the pieces, Chevron quilting radiating outward from the white blocks making square centers, and diamond quilting on the border blocks, frame and borders @ 6 to 7 stitches per inch.  PROFESSIONALLY HAND LAUNDERED, we find a couple small fabric splits in the prints near the edges, but no rips, tears, stains or odors.  It appears that some feed sacks were used for the background as we found one area (shown) with lettering!




Antique Carolina Lily Quilt with Urns

Item #U-2260    $750

We were pleased to be able to purchase this c 1870's colorful Carolina Lily in urns quilt.  Featuring 20 Lily blocks HAND PIECED using Turkey Red, golden yellow, and pale green for the lilies, a clear blue for the double handled urns, and bright white for the background.  It measures 90" x 75", has a thin cotton batting with a few seed fragments, a hand applied green binding (has some old split sew-ups), and a bright white back.  HAND QUILTED with outline quilting inside and outside the pieces, square quilting on the background, and angle quilting across the frame and borders @ 8 stitches per inch.  PROFESSIONALLY HAND LAUNDERED, we found some muting of the green fabrics, but no rips, tears, stains or odors.  A BRIGHT, CLEAN, COLORFUL QUILT!!




1860's Antique Courthouse Steps Log Cabin Quilt

Item #U-2227    $499

A very colorful Courthouse Steps variation of a Log Cabin quilt, this 1860's example, from a private collection in the Ohio River town of Portsmouth, is HAND PIECED using silk, velvet, wool and glazed (Chintz) cotton scrap bag fabrics for the 1/2" to 1" wide strips.  Measuring 82" x 72", it has no batting, an invisible binding and a wonderful wine colored Chintz back.  Tiny knots in black floss hold the front to the back.  We find some deterioration to the silk pieces, slight mothing damage to a few of the wools, some velvet nap loss to the brown velvets, and some fading along the edges of the back, but no rips, stains or odors.  SUPER GRAPHIC!!




Vibrant Antique Pinwheel/Blades Quilt

Item #U-2218    $599

This 1930's UNUSED Pinwheel/Blades quilt was HAND PIECED using bright & colorful period cotton prints and solids for the pinwheel/blades including dark navy blue for the centers and inner points, bright red for the outer points, and a bright white for the background.  Measuring 82" x 80", it has a thin cotton batting, a hand and machine applied bright red binding, and a white back.  HAND QUILTED with light pencil marks visible, it has outline quilting inside each piece, diamond quilting on the white background, and running diamond quilting on the borders @ 6 stitches per inch.  PROFESSIONALLY HAND LAUNDERED FOR THE FIRST TIME, we find no rips, tears, stains or odors, just a BRIGHT, CLEAN, GRAPHIC QUILT!!  GREAT QUILT FOR A CHILDS ROOM!!




1860's Patchwork Quilt w/Chintz Borders & Back

Item #U-2215    $1750

From the 1860's comes this marvelous Patchwork quilt, HAND PIECED using many period cotton fabrics for the 2-1/8" squares including many copper toned madder prints, bright prints on chocolate grounds, rusty red checks, and many shirting prints with one Cheddar block in the center of the quilt.  The quilt was pieced so that it has a center medallion!  The borders and backing fabric are brightly printed Chintz (highly glazed cotton).  The quilt measures 78" x 76", has a thin cotton batting, and a hand applied binding made by bringing the backing fabric around to the front and hand stitching in place.  HAND QUILTED with angle quilting covering the entire quilt @ 6 stitches per inch (she was a much better piecer than quilter!).  The initials "B G" are embroidered on one back corner.  In UNUSED, UNWASHED condition, we found a couple small storage spots, but no rips, tears or odors.  One area of the back has 4 patches that look to have been in the quilt since the making, as fabric was very dear in this era when no cotton was being grown in the South.  This quilt was hidden away in a blanket chest and was in a private collection before we were blessed to be able to purchase it.  MUSEUM QUALITY!!




Reversible Antique Rolling Stones Quilt with Parrot Tulip Printed Back

Item #U-2169    $599

This Rolling Stones quilt started as an 1880's HAND PIECED top with a chrome yellow red & black print and an overdyed green stars print used for the blocks, and a double pink sprig print for the sashing and borders.  It was finished in the 1920's using a colorful Parrott Tulip printed cotton sateen for the back.  The quilt measures 86" x 78" and has a thin cotton batting.  The binding was made by bringing the double pink border around to the back and hand stitching in place.  HAND QUILTED with angle quilting across the pieced blocks, shell quilting on the double pink alternating blocks, and triangle angle quilting on the borders  @ 6 to 7 stitches per inch.  In clean "as found" condition, we found no rips, tears, stains or odors, just a CLEAN, GRAPHIC, REVERSIBLE QUILT!!





Graphic Antique Stairway to Heaven Quilt

Item #U-2052    $550

This pattern is known by several names - Stairway to Heaven, Lightning Streak or Brick Road.  Dating to the 1880's, it has pieces 6" x 3" made from cotton scrap bag leftovers including double pink, Indigo blue, Cadet blue, overdyed green, shirting prints and various colored plaids and solids, with a Cadet blue printed border and red printed binding.  Measuring 86" x 72", it has a thin cotton batting, a hand applied binding, and a light tan plaid back.  HAND QUILTED with light pencil marks visible, it has angle quilting over the entire quilt @ 9 neat and tiny stitches per inch.  PROFESSIONALLY HAND LAUNDERED FOR THE FIRST TIME, we find no rips, tears, stains or odors, just a CLEAN, CRISP, GRAPHIC QUILT!!

Unique "Propeller" Documented Antique Appliqué Quilt

Item #U-2002    $295

We wonder what was going through the makers mind when she designed what we call The Propeller Quilt. Perhaps she had just taken a voyage or lived near the water - we'll never know! We were told by a great-grandson that this quilt was made by Marisa Cook, a descendant of James Cook, the explorer. Dating to the 1880's, the quilt is HAND PIECED using what is now tan cotton for the propellers and most of the sawtooth inner frame, a deep Turkey Red for the outer frame and a few of the sawtooths, and a bright white for the background. Each of the propellers is machine appliquéd to the background with dark brown thread. The quilt measures 75" x 72", has a thin cotton batting with seeds and a bright white back. The binding was made by bringing the border fabric around to the back and hand stitching in place. HAND QUILTED with Chevron quilting over the face making concentric squares, and angle quilting across the sawtooth frame and borders @ 9 neat and very tiny stitches per inch counting only one side. PROFESSIONALLY HAND LAUNDERED, we found no rips, tears or odors, but a couple ink stains on the back only. GREAT GIFT FOR THAT BOATING ENTHUSIAST IN YOUR LIFE @ A GREAT PRICE!!

Dated 1875 Hole in the Barn Door Antique Quilt

Item #U-1025   $1,350

It's unusual to find a Hole in the Barn Door antique quilt, let alone one that's dated!  This fine example, dated 1875 in one corner, is HAND PIECED using cotton fabrics including several copper toned madder prints and a rust red print for the "doors", a black bar on white shirting print for the "hole" and block background, a dark forest green for the background blocks and borders, and a cinnamon pink print for the binding, 2-1/2" wide frame and 1" wide zig zag on the borders.  Measuring 76" square, it has a very thin cotton batting, a hand applied binding, and a mint green plaid back.  HAND QUILTED with Chevron quilting on the pieced blocks, diamond quilting on the background, double chain quilting on the frame, and Chevron quilting on the border @ 6 stitches per inch.  In UNUSED, UNWASHED condition, we found no rips, tears or odors, just a couple very small storage spots.   CRISP, CLEAN, GRAPHIC, DATED ~ COLLECTOR QUALITY ANTIQUE QUILT!!!