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Coverlet with Masonic Symbols
1830-1840
Maker not marked
USA: New York
Wool, cotton
overall: 90"h x 76"w
Gift of Foster McCarl, Jr.
76.45.1

Masonic Coverlet; blue and white double woven jacquard coverlet with center seam; border of Masonic symbols includes the eye, star, pavement, anchor, and beehive as well as the working Masons' tools; trowel, and square and compasses are also worked into the medallions of the center design.


From the 1820s through the 1860s, many middle-class Americans favored strong patterns and exuberant colors when decorating their homes. Responding to this trend, professional weavers created functional, ornamental, and boldly patterned bed covers for their clients. This coverlet, likely made in New York, features a design composed of abstract floral elements combined with a selection of Masonic symbols. Some consumers selected patterns that proclaimed their support of political movements or their interest in specific industries—or, like this one, their association with Freemasonry.



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