Description

Jacob Saylor wove this Jacquard, double-cloth coverlet in North Liberty Township, Knox County, Ohio in 1853. It is possible to know this because of the woven inscription found in the coverlet’s two lower cornerblocks. The corner block says, “Maide by/ Jacob.Sayl/or North Lib/erty Knox/ County Ohio 1853.” The side borders feature a “Double Rose and Carnation” pattern and lower border features stylized fruit tree and folk motifs. The centerfield is made up of lobed medallions in a carpet medallion arrangement. Inside the medallions can be found a variation of the “Double Rose” pattern accented with what appears to be stalks of wheat. Tied-Beiderwand is a complex weave structure where dedicated warp yarns tie together sections of the textile that would otherwise be double-cloth. The red, gold, and blue horizontal banding is suggestive or Saylor’s Pennsylvania origins and the wool yarn used is 2-ply, S-twist, Z-spun. The cotton yarns used are all 3-ply, S-twist, Z-spun. The coverlet has a center seam and measures eighty-eighty by seventy-eight inches.

There are several Jacob Saylors (Saylers) in Ohio that appear on the 1850 and 1860 Federal Census. None of these Jacobs is recorded as being a weaver, which is very common, especially in the availability of affordable land in the Midwest. Weaving would have only be a portion of the family income. More research is needed to determine exactly which Jacob Saylor is the correct one. Clarita Anderson reports that he was active in Stark, Knox, and Pickaway counties. John Heisey used a history of Pickaway County to conclude that Saylor moved to Ohio from Somerset County, Pennsylvania during the War of 1812. So far, no definite match has been found. More research is needed to determine which Jacob Saylor wove this coverlet.

Location

Currently not on view

date made

1853

maker

Saylor, Jacob

place made

United States: Ohio, North Liberty

Physical Description

jacquard (overall production method/technique)

tied-Beiderwand (overall production method/technique)

wool, cotton (overall material)

red, gold, blue. white (overall color)

Measurements

overall: 88 in x 78 in; 223.52 cm x 198.12 cm

ID Number

TE.T13999

catalog number

T13999.000

accession number

269209

Credit Line

Gift of Maris M. Proffit, in memory of Mrs. Maris M. Proffit

See more items in

Home and Community Life: Textiles

Coverlets

Domestic Furnishings

Textiles

Data Source

National Museum of American History