Explore Black History

2003

Quilt in mostly red and purple made for Dr. Gladys-Marie Fry by the African American Quilt Circle in 2003. It is comprised of several blocks both pieced and appliqued, with strips sewn in some places to create evenness in the block sizes. The fabrics are mostly red and purple tones in cotton, synthetic, and blended fabrics. The pieced blocks include a pinwheel, star variations, a sixteen-patch, four-patch variations, and strip block variations. At the top near the center is a block in a crazy quilt pieced style with hand embroidered and bead decorations. There is one hand-appliqued block of a stylized flower design in the second row center. In the third row is a machine-appliqued block of a black woman dancing with a three-dimensional streamer flying behind her upheld arms. Several blocks feature the printed designs fussy cut, including several of African people, one with an elephant, and one at the bottom center right of two black figures in top hats and suits dancing. The blocks are surrounded by a dark purple border, except on the left facing side which has a red border. Each corner is a square of red ground fabric featuring a different element. In the upper left facing corner is a machine-appliqued continent of Africa in purple. The upper right and lower right facing corners have fussy cut pieces of printed fabrics featuring African people dancing and in conversation. The lower left facing corner has two African figures from a printed fabric fussy cut and then machine-appliqued to the red ground. The quilt is backed in a multi-colored batik with dark blue leopard spots, with a thin layer of batting between the top and back. It is machine quilted in an allover abstract continuous pattern of both sharp and rounded corners. One hand-appliqued stylized flower block is sewn on the back at the lower right facing corner. Below it is a label that is pieced into the backing made from plain muslin with machine-printed black text identifying the makers and date. The label reads: "ASANTE / Stitched with appreciation by members of / the African American Quilt Circle / for Dr. Gladys-Marie Fry / for her inspiration, scholarship, and support of the heritage / and legacy of African American quilts and quilters. / Blocks created by Edna Alston, Annette Bailey, Marjorie Barner, Shirley Bullock, / Teena Crawshaw, Delores Benton Evans, Marjorie Freeman, Doretha Hamidullah, / Bertie Howard, Wilma Liverpool, Joan McCoy, Jacqueline Richardson, / Joyce Roland, Iris Simmons, Armedia Stubbs, Selena Sullivan, / Candace Thomas, Winifred Williams, Sauda Zahra. / The setting was designed by Bertie Howard. / The top was quilted by Stephanie Pennington Grant. / July-August 2003 / Durham, North Carolina / [Asante is the Swahili word for 'thank you'.]"

Quilt made by the African American Quilt Circle for Dr. Gladys-Marie Fry

National Museum of African American History and Culture Collection

Decorative Arts, Craft, and Design
Textiles and Quilts

Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture, Gift of Dr. Gladys-Marie Fry

National Museum of African American History and Culture

2013.215.3

quilts

No Known Copyright Restrictions
Proper usage is the responsibility of the user.

cotton cloth, synthetic fiber cloth, cotton and synthetic blend cloth, batting, thread, and beads

H x W x D: 74 × 65 × 1/8 in. (188 × 165.1 × 0.3 cm)

Title • Asante

nmaahc_2013.215.3

NMAAHC

ASANTE

National Museum of African American History and Culture

CC0

2000s

North Carolina • United States • North and Central America • Durham

Design • Art • Communities • Craftsmanship

City • Durham • State • North Carolina • Country • United States • Continent • North and Central America

Images

No Known Copyright Restrictions