Coverlet 1840

This is Michael Franz's Coverlet, made in 1840 in Miami County, Ohio. Woven with wool and cotton, its repetitive patterns of birds, flowers, and geometric shapes give us a glimpse into 19th-century American folk art. These coverlets were more than just bedding; they were cultural documents that served as emblems of identity, community, and personal history. The presence of birds and floral motifs may symbolize themes of nature, domesticity, and the idyllic life, reflecting a yearning for harmony with the environment. Created against the backdrop of industrialization and westward expansion, textiles like this stood as affirmations of local traditions. Consider the labor and skill invested in each thread, woven by hands that carried stories of migration, settlement, and the negotiation of identity in a growing nation. The coverlet invites us to reflect on the meaning of home, heritage, and the enduring human need to create beauty and meaning in the everyday.