QUILT INDEX RECORD
20-16-2273
Where are the records for this quilt housed?
Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives
Who documented this quilt?
The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey, Inc.; Drake House Museum Collection
The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey Documentation Number:
64-001-04
Person filling out this form is:
Other
Source of the information on this quilt:
museum representative
When was the form filled out?
09/27/1991
This is a:
Finished quilt
Quilt's title:
Tree of Life (Palampore)
How wide is the quilt?
100 inches
How long is the quilt?
106 1/2 inches
Shape of edge:
Straight
Shape of corners:
Straight
What color is the quilt?
Blue or Navy; Pink
Overall color scheme:
Multicolor
Quilt's condition:
Good/moderate use
Damage:
Disintegration of fabric; Stains
Describe the repairs:
some repair to stabilize
Describe where the inscription was found:
May have HQPNJ label on back
Time period:
Pre-1799
Date estimated by an antique dealer, quilt historian or appraiser:
attributed to 1777
Who estimated the quilt's date?
Hart, Natalie S.
Describe the quilt's layout:
Medallion or framed center
Number of different block patterns used in the quilt:
one
What is the shape of the quilt blocks?
Squares
Fiber types used to make the quilt top:
Cotton
Fabric styles used in the quilt top:
Floral
Applique techniques used to make the quilt top:
Hand Applique
Can you feel or see paper on the quilt that was used as a construction aid?
no
Materials used to make the back:
Cotton
Description of the back:
coarsely woven cotton
Describe the back:
Same fabric used throughout
How is the binding made?
Woven tape
What kind of filling is used in the quilt?
No filling
How are the layers held together?
Hand quilting
Number of quilting stitches per inch, place 1:
very fine
Quilting designs used, overall motifs:
Clamshell; Grid/crosshatch
Features or notes about the quilt's appearance, materials, or construction:
Rated 5 (outstanding) on HQPNJ's scale for visual effect. The central motif was cut from a single printed textile and stitched to the background fabric. Additional branches were expertly added to give the design needed width. Free form leaves were appliqued in the corners above the tree. The extremely fine quilting includes crosshatching and tiny clamshells the size of the end of a finger. Free formed shaped leaves appliqued in corners above trees.
Quilt top made by:
Unknown, quilter
Quilted by:
unknown, quilter
Where the quilt was made, state:
New Jersey (NJ)
Where the quilt was made, country:
United States
Tell the story of how the quilt was obtained:
Quilt made by daughter of John Hart. Hart family was from Hopewell, New Jersey. Hart was the oldest signer of the Declaration of Independence, at age 65. Hart was a farmer with 13 children. He lived in caves when British invaded. The British raided his farm and slaughtered his cattle. He died in 1779.
Where did the maker find their pattern?
Unknown
Related items such as diaries, obituaries, wills, household inventories, or pictures of the quiltmaker:
This quilt appears in the book New Jersey Quilts: 1777 to 1950 on page 57.
Ownership of this quilt is:
Public
Quilt owner's name:
Drake House Museum
Quilt owner's city:
Plainfield
Quilt owner's county:
Union
Quilt owner's state:
New Jersey (NJ)
Quilt owner's country:
United States
Quiltmaker's gender:
Female
Who photographed this quilt?
Barbara Schaffer
Access and copyright information:
Restricted
Copyright holder:
The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey, Inc.
Details
Cite this Quilt
Unknown, quilte. Tree of Life (Palampore). Pre-1799. From Rutgers Special Collections and University Archives, The Heritage Quilt Project of New Jersey, Inc.; Drake House Museum Collection. Published in The Quilt Index, https://quiltindex.org/view/?type=fullrec&kid=20-16-2273. Accessed: 03/29/24