Cootie Quilt

Mary Catherine Lamb, Cootie Quilt, ca. 1988, cotton and polyester, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Nancy Becker in honor of Chris Rauschenberg and Janet Stein and in memory of Mary Catherine Lamb, 2013.81
Copied Mary Catherine Lamb, Cootie Quilt, ca. 1988, cotton and polyester, 3737 in. (94.094.0 cm), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Nancy Becker in honor of Chris Rauschenberg and Janet Stein and in memory of Mary Catherine Lamb, 2013.81

Artwork Details

Title
Cootie Quilt
Date
ca. 1988
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
3737 in. (94.094.0 cm)
Credit Line
Gift of Nancy Becker in honor of Chris Rauschenberg and Janet Stein and in memory of Mary Catherine Lamb
Mediums Description
cotton and polyester
Classifications
Keywords
  • Abstract
Object Number
2013.81

Artwork Description

Constructed using fabric from draperies, tablecloths, and dish towels, this 4 x 4-foot quilt depicts figures from the children’s game “Cootie.” Players roll a die; each number that comes up allows a player to collect a specific part of the cootie. The winner is the first to assemble the entire bug, consisting of a body, head, eyes, antennae, proboscis, and six legs. Each quilt square gives an amusing close-up of the completed cootie. Lamb studied quilt making at the Oregon College of Art and Craft and was known for incorporating fun, secondhand fabrics and executing complex quilt designs.