Quilt (Applique quilt)

Description

​This applique quilt was likely used to teach Sunday School to young children. The quilt tells the story of the aftermath of the Biblical flood and how Noah’s sons fathered the world’s different ethnicities. Those descendants are shown building the Tower of Babel in the center of the quilt. The arrogance of humanity to think they could build a tower to the heavens led God to destroy the tower and create linguistic differences. The quilt has embroidered inscriptions naming the “Tower of Babel” and a verse from Genesis, “The Lord Did Confound Their Languages.” Humanity was once again scattered and separated by language barriers. The third scene on the quilt traces the lineage of Abram, who after a conversion experience changes his name to Abraham, one of the Biblical Patriarchs. This quilt was likely made between 1875 and 1900 and blends older traditions of applique work with decorative stitching found on crazy quilts of the same time. The quilt was collected in Carlisle, Pennsylvania, though more research is needed to uncover where it was made.