Antique 1850s Rosebud Appliqué Quilt – Turkey Red & Faded Indigo Green – Pre-Civil War – 92” x 100”

This is an exceptional mid-19th-century Rosebud Appliqué Quilt, dating to circa 1850–1860, featuring brilliant Turkey red floral buds, beautifully faded blue-green foliage, and an elaborate sawtooth border. This large, entirely hand-appliquéd and hand-quilted quilt is a fine example of American antebellum quiltmaking.

The quilt features a symmetrical arrangement of four-petal rosebud motifs, with radiating stems and elongated leaves in shades of soft slate blue, faded green, and indigo. The foliage appears to have originally been dyed green using a traditional overdyeing process, combining indigo blue with yellow dye. Over generations, much of the yellow component has faded, leaving the distinctive blue and blue-green tones visible today. Two leaves in one corner retain a particularly vivid indigo blue.

The rosebuds and striking sawtooth or dogtooth border are worked in brilliant Turkey red cotton, a highly colorfast fabric widely used in fine 19th-century appliqué quilts. The contrast between the saturated red, softly faded foliage, and white cotton ground is especially beautiful.

The hand quilting is extraordinary, with closely spaced stitching forming elaborate feathered, floral, and geometric patterns throughout the quilt, including the broad white borders.

Details:
* Age: Circa 1850–1860, pre-Civil War
* Size: 92” x 100”
* Pattern: Rosebud floral appliqué with sawtooth border
* Construction: Entirely hand appliquéd and hand quilted
* Fabrics: Solid Turkey red cotton, indigo and faded blue-green cottons, and white cotton ground
* Design: Symmetrical repeating rosebud arrangements with radiating foliage
* Border: Bold Turkey red sawtooth or dogtooth appliqué border
* Quilting: Exceptionally detailed hand quilting featuring feathered, floral, and geometric motifs
* Batting: Thin cotton batting, consistent with mid-19th-century construction

CONDITION: Beautiful antique condition for a quilt approximately 165–175 years old. The Turkey red appliqué remains remarkably vibrant, while the foliage exhibits the characteristic fading and color variation associated with historic green-dyed cottons. The resulting soft blue-green palette is an important part of the quilt’s age and character.

The quilt retains its impressive overall presentation, with the intricate hand quilting particularly well preserved and visible throughout the white ground and borders.

The quilt has been soaked, freshly hand washed and line dried, giving it a light, natural, sun-dried cotton scent (not artificially fragranced).

Please examine the photographs, including the detailed close-ups, as they form an important part of the description.