Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women

Quilt with a colorful, abstract pattern. At the center is a dark blue square with a black star as its border.

Unidentified Maker​​, Crazy Star; ca. 1920​​, Arthur, Illinois​​, cotton and wool; 74 x 63 ½ in. (detail), Collection of Faith and Stephen Brown, Promised gift to the Smithsonian American Art Museum 

Explore the creative practice of Amish quilters in the United States. Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women looks beyond quilting as a utilitarian practice. It reveals historical quilting among the Amish as an aesthetic endeavor that walked a line between cultural and individual expression. The quilts paradoxically twin the plain with the spectacular, tradition with innovation, and a dismissal of personal pride with objects often seen as extraordinary artworks.

Description

In the late nineteenth century, Amish women adopted an artform already established within the larger American culture and made it distinctly their own, developing community and familial preferences, with women sharing work, skills, and patterns. The quilts in Pattern and Paradox were all made between 1880 and 1950 in communities united by faith, values of conformity and humility, and a rejection of “worldly” society. No specific guidelines governed quilt patterns or colors, so Amish women explored an uncharted territory, pushing cultural limitations by innovating within a community that values adherence to rules. Styles, patterns, and color preferences eventually varied and distinguished the various settlements, but it was the local quilters who drove and set the standards. 

When Amish quilts traveled into the non-Amish world in the late twentieth century, they developed a dual identity: part icon of Amish culture, part abstract artwork, with art enthusiasts embracing them in part due to a perceived resemblance to modern paintings. By the mid twentieth century, Amish quilts were increasingly being shown in museums. As the art world embraced the striking color combinations and inventive patterning of Amish quilts, the Amish became uneasy for having made and possessing museum-worthy, valuable artworks. Consequently, Amish families began to divest themselves of the quilts that had captivated the art world and consumer culture alike. Some rejected the “old dark quilts” and shifted to lighter and brighter colors for their own quilts. Others continued the older ways, and many Amish women began making quilts as a source of income. 

Although vintage quilts remain among the most recognized manifestations of Amish culture, they represent the historical, localized trends of only a finite period from a living and changing culture. Pattern and Paradox celebrates the quilts, the women who made them, and considers their unique role in American art today, roughly a century after the quilts in this collection were made. 

The exhibition celebrates a major gift of Amish quilts to the museum by Faith and Stephen Brown. They began collecting quilts in 1977, four years after encountering Amish quilts for the first time at the Smithsonian American Art Museum’s Renwick Gallery. The 50 quilts featured in Pattern and Paradox include 39 from the museum’s collection and 11 promised gifts. Around 100 additional quilts from the Browns’ exemplary collection are promised to the museum as a bequest.

The exhibition is organized by Leslie Umberger, curator of folk and self-taught art and Virginia Mecklenburg, senior curator, with support from Anne Hyland, curatorial assistant. Janneken Smucker, who is a fifth generation Mennonite quiltmaker of Amish Mennonite heritage, a cultural historian, and a professor of history at West Chester University, is primary author of the exhibition catalogue and contributed to the exhibition.

Visiting Information

March 28, 2024 August 26, 2024
Open Daily, 11:30 a.m.–7:00 p.m
Free Admission

Publications

Pattern and Paradox publication cover
Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women
Explore the design innovation and quiltmaking skills of Amish women from communities across the United States. The catalogue celebrates the Faith and Stephen Brown collection of Amish quilts at the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

Videos

Video Player is loading.
Current Time 0:00
Duration 0:00
Loaded: 0%
Stream Type LIVE
Remaining Time 0:00
 
1x
    • Chapters
    • descriptions off, selected
    • captions off, selected

      Did you know SAAM has the largest collection of Amish quilts of any art museum? Discover this beautiful and vibrant collection with Janneken Smucker, professor of history, as she guides you through the tradition and artistry of the Amish quiltmaking practice. Smucker explores how the quilts, which were pieced together with precise skill by women artists for everyday use in the home, became celebrated art objects in the mid-twentieth century.  

      The collection is featured in SAAM’s exhibition Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women, which celebrates a major gift of Amish quilts to the museum by Faith and Stephen Brown. In this video, hear from the Browns as they discuss their collecting journey, which spans more than 50 years and 130 objects.

      Credit

      Pattern and Paradox: The Quilts of Amish Women is organized by the Smithsonian American Art Museum. Generous support has been provided by Faith and Stephen Brown, Billings and John Cay, Barbara Coffey Endowment, and the Ellsworth Kelly Foundation. This exhibition received federal support from the Smithsonian American Women’s History Initiative Pool, administered by the Smithsonian American Women’s History Museum, and from the Smithsonian Collections Care Initiative, administered by the National Collections Program.

      SAAM Stories

      Close up of Old Maid's Puzzle quilt
      Celebrating National Quilting Day with a gift of Amish quilts
      Laura Baptiste
      Head of Communications and Public Affairs
      A quilt with large, concentric squares hang in a gallery. Quilts are mounted on the wall behind it.
      Exploring SAAM's collection of stunning Amish quilts
      SAAM

      Online Gallery

      Unidentified, Center Diamond, ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.1
      Center Diamond
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Diamond Variation, ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.2
      Diamond Variation
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Diamond Variation, ca. 1930, wool and silk crepe, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.3
      Diamond Variation
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      wool and silk crepe
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Sawtooth Diamond, 1915, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.7
      Sawtooth Diamond
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1915
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Sunshine and Shadow, n.d., cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.4
      Sunshine and Shadow
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Daten.d.
      cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Sunshine and Shadow, ca. 1930, cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2021.67.4
      Sunshine and Shadow
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Sunshine and Shadow, ca. 1920, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.5
      Sunshine and Shadow
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1920
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Center Square, ca. 1930, cotton and cotton sateen, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2021.67.3
      Center Square
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and cotton sateen
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Bars, ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.8
      Bars
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Nine Patch in Bars, 1915, wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.9
      Nine Patch in Bars
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1915
      wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Tumbling Blocks, 1930, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.6
      Tumbling Blocks
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1930
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Tumbling Blocks, ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2021.67.1
      Tumbling Blocks
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Lapp Family, Lone Star, ca. 1930, cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.10
      Lone Star
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Crazy, ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.13
      Crazy
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Crosses and Losses, 1898, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.14
      Crosses and Losses
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1898
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Railroad Crossing, ca. 1930, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.15
      Railroad Crossing
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Log Cabin, 1925, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.11
      Log Cabin
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1925
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Fans, ca. 1915, cotton, cotton sateen, and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.12
      Fans
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1915
      cotton, cotton sateen, and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Bow Tie, n.d., cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.16
      Bow Tie
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Daten.d.
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, One Patch, n.d., cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.19
      One Patch
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Daten.d.
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Variable Stars, ca. 1930, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.20
      Variable Stars
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Broken Dishes, n.d., cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.21
      Broken Dishes
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Daten.d.
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Tartan, ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.17
      Tartan
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Original Pattern, n.d., cotton and silk, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.18
      Original Pattern
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Daten.d.
      cotton and silk
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Nine Patch, ca. 1920, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.22
      Nine Patch
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1920
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Nine Patch, 1940, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.25
      Nine Patch
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1940
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Nine Patch, n.d., cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.26
      Nine Patch
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Daten.d.
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Double Nine Patch, ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.27
      Double Nine Patch
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Ocean Waves, ca. 1920, cotton and cotton sateen, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2021.67.2
      Ocean Waves
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1920
      cotton and cotton sateen
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Ocean Wave, 1926, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.23
      Ocean Wave
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1926
      cotton
      Not on view
      Clara Beachy, Ocean Waves Variation, ca. 1910, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.24
      Ocean Waves Variation
      Dateca. 1910
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Roman Stripes, 1912, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.31
      Roman Stripes
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1912
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Roman Stripe, ca. 1940, cotton, cotton muslin, and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2021.67.5
      Roman Stripe
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1940
      cotton, cotton muslin, and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Roman Stripes, ca. 1930, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.32
      Roman Stripes
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Double Wedding Ring, ca. 1920, cotton and cotton flannel, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.28
      Double Wedding Ring
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1920
      cotton and cotton flannel
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Log Cabin, ca. 1920, cotton and wool, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.29
      Log Cabin
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1920
      cotton and wool
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Broken Dishes/One Patch, 1930, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.30
      Broken Dishes/​One Patch
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1930
      cotton
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Nine Patch Variation/Puss in the Corner, 1930, cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.33
      Nine Patch Variation/​Puss in the Corner
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Date1930
      cotton, wool, and synthetic fabrics
      Not on view
      Unidentified, Railroad Crossing, ca. 1930, cotton, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Faith and Stephen Brown, 2022.4.34
      Railroad Crossing
      Artist
      Unidentified
      Dateca. 1930
      cotton
      Not on view