American Folk Art Museum Logo

The Great Cover-up: American Rugs on Beds, Tables, and Floors

June 5–September 9, 2007
Exhibition

The impulse to cover interior surfaces has historically been both utilitarian and decorative. Early American rugs were yarn sewn, shirred, appliqued, and embroidered. As many surviving rugs attest, the best examples transcend function through the graphic power of their color and design. “The Great Cover-up: American Rugs on Beds, Tables, and Floors” features approximately 65 rugs that span the end of the 18th through the mid-20th centuries, including several monumental masterworks, such as the museum’s stunning 13-foot Appliqued Carpet (c. 1860) and the magnificent Embroidered Carpet (1832–1835) by Zeruah H. Guernsey Caswell from the collection of the Metropolitan Museum of Art. Other treasures from the museum’s collection include the rare and strikingKnitted Rug attributed to Elvira Hulett, a member of the Hancock Shaker community, whose design is a technical tour de force, and the graphic Pictorial Table Rug, which powerfully illustrates the strong link between church and home. Originally, hand-sewn and -hooked rugs were enjoyed only within the intimate confines of the home. Today, their public appreciation provides a fascinating glimpse into the private spaces of American life.

Although the museum regularly includes rugs in its exhibitions, “The Great Cover-up” is the first presentation devoted to a wide range of American rug traditions since 1974, when Kate Kopp and Joel Kopp organized the seminal show “Hooked Rugs in the Folk Art Tradition.”

Coordinated by Stacy C. Hollander, senior curator and director of exhibitions

Artworks

Appliquéd Carpet
Artist unidentified
Northeastern United States, possibly Maine
c. 1860
Wool appliqué and embroidery on wool
112 x 158 in.
American Folk Art Museum, gift of Ralph Esmerian, 2013.1.50
Photo © John Bigelow Taylor, New York

Bed Rug
Attributed to Deborah Leland Fairbanks (1739–1791) and unidentified family member
Littleton, New Hampshire
1803
Wool
101 x 96 in.
American Folk Art Museum, gift of Cyril Irwin Nelson in honor of Joel and Kate Kopp, 2004.14.3

Pictorial Table Rug
Artist unidentified
Possibly Otisfield, Maine
c. 1840
Wool appliqué, gauze, and embroidery on wool
29 x 53 in.
American Folk Art Museum, gift of Ralph Esmerian, 2013.1.49
Photo by Stephen Donelian

Packard Bed Rug
Packard family member
Jericho, Vermont
1806
Wool
94 x 90 1/2 in.
American Folk Art Museum, gift of Cyril Irwin Nelson in honor of Cary Forney Baker Jr., 2002.31.1
Photo courtesy America Hurrah Archives, New York

The Tiger
Artist unidentified
c. 1820
Yarn sewn on linen
41 1/4 x 67 in.
The Shelburne Museum, Shelburne, Vermont

Lions With Palms
E. Ross & Co. Manufacturers
Wool on burlap
32 1/2 x 62 in.
Private collection

Credits

“The Great Cover-up: American Rugs on Beds, Tables, and Floors” is sponsored in part by the Gerard C. Wertkin Exhibition Fund, the Leir Charitable Foundations in memory of Henry J. & Erna D. Leir, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs.

Installation
Resources
Folk Art article

Read this article featured in Folk Art Magazine, Spring/Summer 2007

PDF
Reviews
This exhibition taps into a current of indigenous ad hoc creativity whose voltage is undiminished.
– New York Times