Quilt
Russia and United States, c. 1899
- Velvet: embroidered with wool, silk, and metallic thread; glass beads
- 81 1/2 x 65 in. (207 x 165.1 cm)
- The Jewish Museum, New York
- Purchase: Judaica Acquisitions Fund, 1986-119
Not on view
Quilt
Listen
Encourage students to examine the quilt carefully:
- What images and symbols do you recognize? What do they make you think of? What significance, if any, do you think they have? Do they seem to tell a story? If so, what story do they tell?
- What materials were used? What kind of texture do you think this quilt has? What patterns are featured in the quilt? Do you think the quilt was hand-made or machine-made? What makes you say that? What do you know about this form of artwork?
- When and where do you think this quilt is from? Why?
FOR FURTHER DISCUSSION
After giving students ample opportunity to examine the quilt, lead them in a discussion of related topics and themes:
- What does this object suggest about the identity of the person who made it? Is this person American? Jewish? Russian? Can a person be all three? What makes someone American?
- How do you define your identity? What’s most important to you? Your religion, your nationality, your ethnicity, or something else?
RESEARCH TOPICS/CONTENT CONNECTIONS:
- Americanization
- Cultural and National Identity
- Folk Art Traditions