American Quilts from the Collection

Amish quilts convey meaning and inspire fascination for many people, starting with the cross-cultural connection of a quilt’s purpose and function in everyday life.  On a deeper level, quilts do much to represent aspects of an entire culture.  Amish quilting is accomplished alone or by groups of young and older women who commune for the task at hand, but also to teach the art and share stories to a new generation. Many quilts were made as gifts for life’s rites of passage, like weddings or the birth of children.  From an artistic and cultural perspective, these quilts are masterpieces of the fabric arts and serve as meaningful icons for the Amish way of life.