A Dazzling, Unusual Bit of Cloth

Abstract

Centering on an antebellum overshot coverlet long interpreted as having been made by an enslaved woman, this essay examines the roles this coverlet played for its creator and owners in a variety of racialized settings before considering the multiple interpretive avenues this artifact opens for twenty-first-century audiences in an interdisciplinary museum. This includes techniques to foreground the coverlet’s maker and her life as museums prioritize inclusive interpretation of difficult history. The recurring examination and shifting interpretations of the coverlet by scholars from a variety of backgrounds suggest its enduring appeal as an object of fascination, curiosity, and beauty.