Interiors furnished in the Aes- niques were still being used in the thetic Movement style could display a nineteenth century and, according to variety of design motifs. There was a the theory connecting this art with special enthusiasm for almost any- crazy quilts, might have been used in thing Japanese, but the designs of the some of the Japanese trade goods sold Islamic world, ancient Greece, and in American shops; in this way, they Egypt were also popular. Design ele- may have been seen by American ments from America's past were pop- women and inspired these women to ular in the American version of the break with their old ways of doing style, and there was a wide use of patchwork and adopt a new, asymmetmotifs found in nature, although these rical, layered style that reflected the were usually more abstract than natu- Japanese aesthetic." ralistic. The Aesthetic Movement was Whether the irregular, asymalso a period marked by an abundance metrical style of the crazy quilt develof what was called "surface ornament": patterns on walls, ceilings, carpets, window draperies, portieres, pillows, and upholstery." Artful, usually asymmetrical arrangements were displayed everywhere and bare tabletops were not to be seen. Clearly, a crazy quilt, combining a variety of fabrics, stitches, and decorative motifs in an elaborate and irregular display of colors and patterns, was the perfect decorative accessory for such an interior. The 1876 Philadelphia Centennial Exposition is often cited as the catalyst for the American interest in the principles of the Aesthetic Movement, and it is also generally mentioned as the catalyst for the interest in art needlework and Japanese design that are associated with this movement and are also major features of the crazy quilt. The Japanese Pavilion at the Centennial was one of the most popular at the fair, and is widely credited for introducing the American public to Japanese arts and culture. It has been theorized that the crazy quilt design can be traced to the design of a Japanese print, or the Japanese oped from Japanese kirihame, prints, "cracked ice" design'2 that is similar or porcelain glazing, from a previousto what is called "crazing" in porce- ly existing style of American quiltlain glazes. According to a related the- making, or some merging of the two, ory, the crazy quilt design is based on it is clear that the motifs and designs an ancient Japanese textile tradition of the Orient had a significant effect called kirihame, a technique involving on the decoration of the crazies. This complex effects achieved with both was noted in the 1882 journal Art appliquĂŠ and patchwork that was Amateur when it was reported that prized in Japan as early as the six- "When the present favorite style of teenth century. Kirihame uses angular quilt was introduced it was called the patches of various size that are sewn Japanese, but the national sense of together in wide, straight-edged strips humor has been too keen, and the to give a striped effect. Sharp diago- Japanese is now generally known as nals, jagged and randomly placed, the `crazy' quilt."14 Typical Japanesecross the strips of patches at odd inspired motifs that were seen not angles, marking the seams between only on crazy quilts, but on printed contrasting fabrics. Kirihame tech- textiles, wallpapers, ceramics, silver,
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and other home furnishings and accessories were insects (especially beetles and spiders with webs), butterflies, fish, vases, flowering tree branches, and birds (primarily cranes and other elongated species). The most popular Japaneseinspired motif, however, was the fan, which could be depicted either as the small, hand-held variety or as large, open corner fans. Both varieties are apparent in the Cleveland-Hendricks Crazy Quilt. With its seemingly random combination of motifs, this tex"S.H." CRAZY QUILT Quilt:maker unidentified Initialed "S.H." United States 1885-1895 Silk with silk embroidery, ink, paint 75 74" Museum of American Folk Art Gift of Margaret Cavigga 1985.23.4
tile exemplifies the Aesthetic Movement interest in surface ornament and exotic design as translated into the crazy quilt. The maker cannot be identified (the initials "J.F.R." embroidered on the upper left of the quilt may be those of the maker or of the recipient of the quilt), but her political sentiments remain clear. The strutting rooster in the center of the quilt was an emblem often used by the Democratic Party in the 1880s and 1890s, particularly in Grover Cleveland's campaign. This and other large motifs in the quilt were originally parts of campaign banners. Below the rooster are the portraits of two unsuccessful Democratic presidential candidates,