Stitches Across Borders
January 2008
“My mother quilted,” recalls Robert James, who along with his wife, Ardis, has amassed one of the top quilt collections in the United States. “She’d have everybody over to quilt, and afterwards she’d show me their stitching—what was really good and what wasn’t.That’s where I learned my appreciation for workmanship." That appreciation led to years of study and the realization that quilts are not just an American folk art form but a worldwide, pan-cultural phenomenon. And the James collection became the seed that has grown into the International Quilt Study Center at the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, whose mission is to "collect, preserve, study, exhibit and promote discovery of quilts and quiltmaking traditions from many cultures, countries and time periods."
In 2000 the National Trust for Historic Preservation designated the Ardis and Robert James Collection an official project of the Save America’s Treasures program, in the company of other objects including the Star Spangled Banner, the original flag that inspired the poem by Francis Scott Key. "At first, we just bought what we liked," says Bob James. "Then we got the idea that we could do something important. We decided to build a comprehensive collection—well, that’s impossible, but we wanted to show the legacy and the variety of quilting around the world."
The collection, which the Jameses began in 1979, has more than 1,000 examples dating from the late 1700s to the present and represents "the best of a particular time or place," says Ardis, who is also a quilter. Though Bob repeatedly praises Ardis’s "eye," building this collection was a shared adventure. "We looked at quilts," says Bob. "We read everything and asked everyone, everywhere, about quilts. We talked to artists and learned from them. We hired consultants. Soon, we felt confident that we could build a museum-quality collection."
The IQSC was established in 1997, after the couple donated nearly 950 quilts with an estimated worth of more than $6 million to the university. The Jameses continue in their role as benefactors and serve on the advisory board. "It’s with their support that we’ve really been able to expand our international collection," says Carolyn Ducey, IQSC Curator of Collections. Over the past decade, the center’s holdings have more than doubled, and special collections of African-American, French, Pakistani, Indian and Amish crib quilts have been added. On March 30, the center will reach another milestone when it dedicates a 37,000 square-foot museum on the university campus.
Art collectors may be surprised to find how easily quilts complement their collections in other mediums. "French quilts of the 19th century fit well with a classical theme," says Ducey, "while quilts with strong graphic elements appeal to collectors of modern art." Take, for instance, "Concentric Squares," a 42-inch-by-41 inch example made by an anonymous quilter between 1890 and 1910, which Ardis purchased at Sotheby’s in 1992. "Although its size [42" x 41"] may suggest a crib quilt, it is hard to imagine such a visually active quilt being used for a child’s bed," says IQSC director Patricia Crews. This antique American quilt appeals to modernist aesthetics with its bold imagery reminiscent of Op Art. The quilt maker emphasized that effect by almost imperceptibly decreasing the width of the red strips as they near the center.
Although the Jameses initially focused on Americana, quilts such as "Concentric Squares" begged for a transition to contemporary work, including art quilts. One of the latter, "Crosses" (1976)—an early piece the Jameses acquired—is by world-renowned art quilter Nancy Crow and exemplifies her affinity for line and shape. (Crow will give a public lecture and will open her solo exhibition, "Nancy Crow: Cloth, Culture, Context" at the museum’s opening. "Crosses" will be included in that exhibit.)
If your collecting interests are contemporary, art quilts should capture your attention. The Studio Art Quilt Associates (SAQA) defines an art quilt (also called a "studio quilt") as "a contemporary artwork exploring and expressing aesthetic concerns common to the whole range of visual arts: painting, printmaking, photography, graphic design, assemblage and sculpture, which retains, through materials or technique, a clear relationship to the folk art quilt from which it descends." Robert Shaw, American folk art expert, offers a simpler definition—"a quilt-like textile intended to be viewed as a work of art."This category has been steadily growing in exposure since its first exhibition, "The Art Quilt," opened in Los Angeles in 1986. SAQA was organized in 1990 by quilt artist Yvonne Porcella; from a founding membership of 50 artists, the current number of 1,700 includes artists, teachers, collectors, gallery owners, museum curators and corporate sponsors. Shaw documented the movement in his 1997 book The Art Quilt. Quilt National, in Athens, Ohio, is a biennial event (next in 2009) dedicated to art quilts. In addition, art quilts are gaining presence at shows like the International Quilt Festival, held annually in Houston, where approximately 15 percent of nearly 54,000 attendees are from other countries. Other notable shows include Quilt Nihon, held biennially in Japan, and the Festival of Quilts, an annual event in Birmingham, England (Aug. 14–17).
"As the art quilt movement grew in the United States, art quilt movements began in other countries," writes Martha Sielman in the introduction to her book, Masters: Art Quilts—Major Works by Leading Art Quilters (to be published by Lark Books this spring). "Some artists report being directly influenced by exhibits or publications of American art quilts, while artists in other countries developed independently and only discovered what was happening in America after they were established in their homelands ... Art quilting has benefited from increasing globalization … websites and international travel make it easy to connect."
The James Collection includes art quilts from the United States, Canada, Europe and Japan. Techniques include both machine- and hand-piecing, and additions such as paint, dye, embroidery and appliqué. "Colourwash Spillikins" (1998) by English artist Dierdre Amsden, uses tonal change to create direction and movement. ("Colourwash," also known as "watercolor," is a technique developed by Amsden.) Ruth Eissfeldt, from Germany, explores graphic design potential within the limits of a square in "Atlantis" (1999). British quiltmaker Pauline Burbidge photographs the English countryside and uses the images as inspiration for her abstract designs, such as "Finn" (1983).
There is a vibrant international flow among art quilters and their followers. "We discovered Ursula Rauch’s work in Japan," Bob says, referencing the German artist. Quilt artists like Crow offer tours to Guatemala and workshops in Scandinavia. And museum boards and organizations’ memberships are often multi-national. Yet countries retain distinctive traits characteristic of their land, culture and resources. For example, "Four Fields Meet" (1996) by Canadian Dorothy Caldwell, is a tactile mixed-media. It conveys a sense of Ontario’s hazy, late autumn landscape through the use of resist and discharged dyeing techniques. Fabrics, too, can vary based on locale. "The Sea of Japan in Winter" (1983) by Japanese artist Shizuko Kuroha is hand-pieced using indigenous indigo cotton. (These two examples, along with "Atlantis" mentioned above, will be included in "Quilts in Common," a debut exhibition highlighting work from the IQSC permanent collection.)
When most of us think of quilts, it’s American pieces, not those from other nationalities, which come to mind. But in fact, our cherished Log Cabin and Star quilts are relative newcomers to the scene. "Our research shows that piecing fabric, then quilting it for strength and warmth, is a tradition practiced by many cultures around the world," says Ducey. Patricia Stoddard writes in her book, Ralli Quilts: Traditional Textiles from Pakistan and India (Schiffer Publishing, 2003): "A patchwork ceremonial canopy of small dyed gazelle leather squares made for an Egyptian queen (c. 980 B.C.) still survives in a Cairo museum." Even earlier artifacts found in ancient Egypt—an incised statue, a wall painting—suggest quilted materials. She describes early trade routes between the Mediterranean and Asia (where evidence of quilting dates to between the 6th and 4th centuries B.C.), and the introduction of quilting to Europe by returning Crusaders in the 12th century. Stoddard continues, "There is evidence of techniques used in rallis in ancient Egypt and Asia."
Ralli is the name for quilts from the Thar Desert region of Pakistan and India, and they were virtually unknown elsewhere 10 years ago. They are functional, cotton bed covers, made today by women following centuries-old traditions passed down over generations. Stoddard discovered them when she accompanied her husband on military assignment to Pakistan in 1996. Long interested in textiles, she found a colorful quilt in a handicrafts store; it was unlike any of the others. Intrigued, she plied the shop owner with questions and began to seek out similar textiles, even visiting remote ralli-making communities. "These trips were fascinating," she says, "but not for the timid." Generally rallis are pieced; appliqué and embroidery are also valued needle skills. Any of the three techniques can be used as a primary focus or in artful combination. Quilt backings are often a worn shawl; if smaller pieces of fabric are assembled for the backing, they are dyed for a cohesive look. The layers, with a scrap filling, are quilted together with straight lines of closely spaced parallel running stitches.
Because of their functionality, antique rallis are rare. "However, some that were commissioned by wealthy landowners survive because they were preserved," says Stoddard, "and these can sell for many thousands. An interesting clue is to know what kind of fabric is used on the back. If it is a solid piece, then it was probably made to be a finer quilt. If it is patched, it was probably made for everyday use."Similar to the famed rugs of the region, ralli tops have a large, center field framed by two to five or more borders. Lest that sound tidy to the point of tedium, rallis are enlivened by bold colors and dynamic patterns. Red, black and white, the basic colors, are joined by yellow, green, purple, orange, blue and sometimes bright pink. The shapes themselves may be either purely geometric or based on familiar items or natural elements, such as clouds, lightning, trees, flowers and water. Enrichments such as mirrors, tassels, or beads add to the beauty of the quilt, and also offer protection against evil spirits.
The IQSC has 93 rallis in its permanent collection. Consider the illustrated example on the facing page made anonymously in Middle Sindh, Pakistan (c. 1960). Squares and triangles in the border recombine in myriad patterns, and seem to dance along diagonal lines; yet the overall composition is held together by balance. Note how the six central squares alternates colors. And while each motif is slightly different, the constants of shape and style, and the limitation of the sole four colors bring order to the quilt’s arrangement.
The Indus Valley region has an ancient pedigree regarding textiles, and ralli designs often echo those found on ancient pottery. Cotton production here dates to 5500 B.C., and quilting and patchwork may have begun as far back as prehistoric times. Religious and ethnic cultural traditions determine choices of color, style and stitches. Stoddard offers an example: "From the Hindu perspective red is a sacred color, as an expression of creative energy—shakti—and vital force, power and anger." And Islam’s artistic vocabulary of geometric and botanic shapes has reinforced an aesthetic expression that extends beyond the religion’s practioners. Nonetheless, these traditions have continuously adapted to influences of social and technical infiltration. Sewing machines and colorfast cottons are just the latest innovations. "Every ralli quilt tells a story," says Stoddard. If so, these quilts speak of a spare life, lived with dignity and brightened by the spark of creativity.
A complete opposite from the ralli are the quilts known as broderie de Marseille. These elegant French bedcovers are recognized by their allover white needlework on an expanse of fine white cotton (also known as whitework). From the 17th through the 19th centuries, professional needlewomen working in ateliers produced fragile-looking confections that were, in truth, warm and strong. Following a pattern, flowers, fruits, monograms, scrolls and other symbols of abundance were meticulously outlined in two parallel lines of tiny running stitches, and the space was then filled with cord. This "corded and stuffed" technique is sometimes called bas-relief quilting, which describes its dimensional aspect. "The play of light and shadow over the surface illuminates each curve and arc of the raised pattern," writes French and American textile expert Kathryn Berenson, in her book Quilts of Provence: The Art and Craft of French Quiltmaking (Potter Craft, 2007).
The port of Marseilles was a busy trade center, with an active textile industry by the close of the 17th century. Fine cotton was imported from India, the Near East and later, Egypt. The eponymous needlework of Marseilles supplied luxury markets in Europe, the French Caribbean and America. Today, in a revival of interest, these quilts are sought by connoisseurs of textiles and French culture. "They are very rare now," says Berenson. "They’ve all gone into French households. It’s their heritage."
A good condition Marseilles quilt will cost "tens of thousands," says Berenson. New York quilt dealer Laura Fisher described a quilt sold for nearly $50,000 at the 1996 Fall Antiques Show in New York. "It was a French masterpiece, and was signed and dated, which is very unusual. Whitework displays the fine stitching, without the distraction of colors or piecing."
The collector will find the category confused by various spellings of "Marseilles," the inclusion of period American whitework and machine-loomed coverlets, and modern reproductions. (Age may be determined by examination under an ultraviolet light.) One distinction of French quilts is their almost completely filled background. In the "Vase of Flowers" (c. 1825) wedding quilt, one of many French quilts and textiles that Berenson made available to the IQSC, the center motif of flowers in an urn is surrounded by alternating squares of flowers and padded puffs. In 2010, the IQSC will mount an exhibition of these rarely seen treasures.
Bob and Ardis James remain ardent champions of the history and beauty of quilts. With the support of collectors like these, the IQSC continues to grow in size and scope, proving to visitors that quilts can reveal the ancient traditions of fiber art, illustrate a time in history or connect us, like an embroidered trail, to humanity’s rich ethnic diversity.Cora Ginsburg, New York
212.744.1352 coraginsburg.com
Fisher Heritage, New York
212.838.2596 laurafisherquilts.com
International Quilt Study Center, Lincoln, Neb.
402.472.6549 quiltstudy.org.
Lila Handicrafts, Sindh, Pakistan
geocities.com/tharparker
Ralli Quilts Online
ralliquilt.com
Studio Art Quilt Associates
860.487.4199 saqa.com
The Art Quilt Network
artquiltnetwork.com
Suzanne Smith Arney is a writer and arts educator in Omaha, Nebraska.