Exhibition Archive

Amish Abstractions:
Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown

November 14, 2009 – June 6, 2010
de Young Museum, Textile Gallery

Amish Abstractions: Quilts from the Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown showcases the artistry and diversity of the Amish quiltmaking tradition. The exhibition features approximately forty-eight full-size and crib quilts dating from the 1880s to the 1940s, the height of Amish quiltmaking, and hailing from various communities in Pennsylvania and the Midwest. The rich display of vibrant colors and bold geometries underscores the significance of Amish quilts in the history of American textiles while highlighting the beauty and complexity of the quilts’ abstract patterns.

The Amish represent a highly conservative branch of the Anabaptist sect. Established in 1693 by Jakob Ammann, the Amish doctrine is based on creating a community apart from the rest of society. This community of believers makes no separation between their secular and religious activities and believes that spiritual redemption is found in the submission of the individual to the group. The first wave of Amish immigrated to America between 1737 and 1754, settling on farms in Pennsylvania and, later, throughout the Midwest. Living largely apart from mainstream culture, the Amish reject most modern conveniences in favor of a quiet, ordered life that is reflected in their buildings, furnishings, and gardens.

Although the Amish first learned quiltmaking from their “English” (non-Amish) neighbors, they quickly developed a unique sensibility of their own through by coupling distinctive choices of quilt patterns and fabrics with unusual spatial arrangements. Quilts made by the girls and women of these settlements are visual distillations of the Amish faith and way of life, embodiments of the principles of simplicity, humility, discipline, and community that govern the society. The Amish Abstractions exhibition reveals the Amish quilt as both a rich cultural document and a dramatic work of art.

Lattice (crib quilt)
Haven, Kansas ca. 1930 53 x 43 in.

Double Nine Patch
Lancaster County, Pennsylvania ca. 1930, 82 x 82 in.