1860s Democratic Rose Quilt – Hand-Quilted Civil War Era Floral Applique (74" x 78")

This is a beautiful mid-19th-century "Democratic Rose" Applique quilt that's dates to the 1850s–1870s and featuring the iconic bold red and soft pink calico florals that defined the "best" quilts of the Civil War era. The Democratic Rose was a popular pattern for bridal and showcase quilts. The quilt includes floral motifs along with trailing vines, buds, and leaves, all hand-applied with tiny, nearly invisible stitches.

The vibrant reds are Turkey Red or madder-dyed prints, which remain colorfast for a long time, and in this case more than 150 years. The hand-quilting is dense, precise and and done in elaborate feathers throughout the body and four-sided border interspersed with diagonal grids.

The back is white cotton while the very narrow binding is a madder red print that has been hand stitched to both sides. The cotton batting is very lightweight.

The quilt is in good condition and is sturdy and structurally sound, with the red and pink rose fabrics remaining vibrant and strong. However, as is characteristic of quilts of this age, there is shattering/fabric loss on many of the tan vine and leaf appliques while the white ground has some light, age-related foxing and minor toning/tan marks.

Details:
• Pattern: Democratic Rose
• Dimensions: Approximately 74" x 78"
• Materials: 100% Cotton; hand-pieced, hand-appliqued, and hand-quilted.
• Age: Circa 1860.

The quilt is from a smoke-free, pet-free home and is pictured on a queen-size bed and has a display sleeve sewn into the back.
HL007