Stitched for All Time
February 2007
A solid provenance, of course, significantly increases a quilt’s value. Christie’s expert Margot
Rosenberg cites a circa-1822 quilt from Virginia that sold in January 2006 for $96,000, pointing out that it was provenance that set the object apart: A treasured family heirloom for almost 200 years, this elaborate medallion quilt has an inscription confirming that Amelia Lauck made it for her son, Morgan, and his new bride, Ann Maria. Antique quilts are an affordable, personable art form.
Condition is another critical criterion. Nancie Ravenel, objects conservator at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, considers aesthetics and structural condition when evaluating a quilt. There should be minimal staining or fading, and the piece should have intact surfaces free from big holes, thin areas or broken threads. Quilts that have been refolded to avoid creases and are clean but not excessively washed are likely to meet both standards.
Searching for quilts of the highest standard is the guiding focus for New York–based collectors Ardis and Robert James. Fascinated by how often visual traditions are related in vastly different cultures, the couple found motifs and patterns in French, Japanese and Indian textiles that were similar to some of those from the United States. Seeking a way to support the scholarly study of quilts, the couple donated their collection as the foundation for the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. The collection features color-drenched neon and sedate earth-toned Amish quilts from Pennsylvania and the Midwest. “Amish quilts work well with a modernist aesthetic. They enhance glass-and-chrome interiors,” says Laura Fisher of Fisher Heritage in New York. These quilts are invigorated by massive amounts of precise stitching. Silber, who in addition to being a dealer is curator of the Amish Esprit Collection in Fine San Francisco, says that current price levels are at just half of their $20,000 to $25,000 highs from the late 1980s.
Quilts created between the two world wars, sometimes called Depression quilts, are made with a pastel palette using recognizable styles such as Dresden Plate and Grandmother’s Flower Garden. An emerging subset of that era is kit quilts. Made with die-cut pieces or pre-stamped appliqué designs, kits cost around $2.98 in the 1930s. Today, Xenia Cord of Legacy Quilts in Kokomo, Indiana, sells excellent, full-sized finished kit quilts from $500 to $1,500. Crib-sized examples, perfect for wall decoration, start at $300.
In another emerging trend, more quilts are being sold at smaller, regional auction houses. “We offer material at a price point that some of the larger New York auction houses just don’t handle,” notes Skinner’s Fletcher. The top 2004 quilt sold at Pook & Pook in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, was a respectable $11,500, a comfortable ceiling for new collectors. That piece, a mid-19th-century central-star quilt, reflects its time with prominent American flags and shields. Rarer are the high-end offerings, such as the Civil War quilt made for a soldier who never returned. Excellent condition and family documents increased its value at Skinner’s where it sold for $149,000 in 2003.
Drawn to quilts by visual appeal and historical reference, collectors are also engaged by the work’s handmade sensiblities. With the new Gee’s Bend exhibition touring until October 2008, awareness of quilts will continue to grow and interest in the marketplace should intensify.
A contributor to American Quilter and Surface Design Journal, Barbara Wysocki was founding editor for the New England Quilt Museum’s quarterly publication.
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Mary Bell Shawvan, Civil War Memorial Quilt, c. 1863, pieced and appliqued cotton. |
Condition is another critical criterion. Nancie Ravenel, objects conservator at the Shelburne Museum in Vermont, considers aesthetics and structural condition when evaluating a quilt. There should be minimal staining or fading, and the piece should have intact surfaces free from big holes, thin areas or broken threads. Quilts that have been refolded to avoid creases and are clean but not excessively washed are likely to meet both standards.
Searching for quilts of the highest standard is the guiding focus for New York–based collectors Ardis and Robert James. Fascinated by how often visual traditions are related in vastly different cultures, the couple found motifs and patterns in French, Japanese and Indian textiles that were similar to some of those from the United States. Seeking a way to support the scholarly study of quilts, the couple donated their collection as the foundation for the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska in Lincoln. The collection features color-drenched neon and sedate earth-toned Amish quilts from Pennsylvania and the Midwest. “Amish quilts work well with a modernist aesthetic. They enhance glass-and-chrome interiors,” says Laura Fisher of Fisher Heritage in New York. These quilts are invigorated by massive amounts of precise stitching. Silber, who in addition to being a dealer is curator of the Amish Esprit Collection in Fine San Francisco, says that current price levels are at just half of their $20,000 to $25,000 highs from the late 1980s.
Quilts created between the two world wars, sometimes called Depression quilts, are made with a pastel palette using recognizable styles such as Dresden Plate and Grandmother’s Flower Garden. An emerging subset of that era is kit quilts. Made with die-cut pieces or pre-stamped appliqué designs, kits cost around $2.98 in the 1930s. Today, Xenia Cord of Legacy Quilts in Kokomo, Indiana, sells excellent, full-sized finished kit quilts from $500 to $1,500. Crib-sized examples, perfect for wall decoration, start at $300.
In another emerging trend, more quilts are being sold at smaller, regional auction houses. “We offer material at a price point that some of the larger New York auction houses just don’t handle,” notes Skinner’s Fletcher. The top 2004 quilt sold at Pook & Pook in Downingtown, Pennsylvania, was a respectable $11,500, a comfortable ceiling for new collectors. That piece, a mid-19th-century central-star quilt, reflects its time with prominent American flags and shields. Rarer are the high-end offerings, such as the Civil War quilt made for a soldier who never returned. Excellent condition and family documents increased its value at Skinner’s where it sold for $149,000 in 2003.
Drawn to quilts by visual appeal and historical reference, collectors are also engaged by the work’s handmade sensiblities. With the new Gee’s Bend exhibition touring until October 2008, awareness of quilts will continue to grow and interest in the marketplace should intensify.
A contributor to American Quilter and Surface Design Journal, Barbara Wysocki was founding editor for the New England Quilt Museum’s quarterly publication.
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