Elizabeth Talford Scott
Plantation
1979
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Elizabeth Talford Scott
Plantation
1979
Physical Qualities
Cotton ground; cotton, wool, and synthetic blend appliqué, cotton and silk embroidery threads, metal needle, cotton lining, 68 1/2 x 74 1/2 in. (174 x 189.2 cm.)
Credit Line
Collectors Circle Fund for Art by African Americans, Baltimore Appliqué Society Fund, and purchased as the gift of the Joshua Johnson Council, and Mr. and Mrs. Irvin Greif, Jr., Lutherville, Maryland
Object Number
2012.226
Irregular slightly rectangular quilt consisting of a natural cotton ground appliquéd with numerous star motifs centered around a larger central star or "comet". Stars of four, five, six, and seven points are sprinkled randomly around the center star which is composed of a conglomeration of diamonds and pointed shapes. Appliquéd fabrics include red, yellow, lt blue lt. brown, white, orange and grey polyester knits, purple cotton, printed floral cotton of upholstery weight with lt. blue, yellow, gold and grey-green patterning, lt. brown polyester, dark green woven fabric, silk or polyester plaid of red, purple, yellow and green, a bright printed polyester of red-orange, white, lavender, brown, olive green, lt orange a blue and white hounds tooth polyester knit, a heavy red, white and orange, brown corduroy, grey wool, grey-blue wool(?), lt. yellow polyester, a printed striped fabric in green, and a plaid wool in red, green and white. Some appliqués fold around to the reverse where at least one is still pinned in place with a straight pin.
These appliquéd stars are further embellished with embroidery in chain stitches in straight and zig-zag patterns, buttonhole stitches, whip stitches, and various types of knots and "bullion" knots in green, lt. orange, navy and medium blue, rust red, lt. blue, purple, teal blue, grey-green, rose, red, yellow, grey, burgundy red, lavender, beige or taupe, and white threads, probably mercerized cotton. The cotton chain stitches tend to outline the stars and their separate rays. There is no batting layer throughout, but the individual stars are stuffed, often with significant amounts of batting thus creating a three dimensional quality. Many of the appliquéd stars are quilted in outline in whole or around individual pattern pieces within the motif. Elsewhere, quilting is done in random patterns throughout including some diagonal lines, straight lines, lines in star shapes, lines in irregular shapes etc. The stitches are created with a variety of threads including white, red, emeral green, yellow, blue, lt. blue, lt. brown, purple, lt. lavender, pink, black, and other colors varying in width from single white or colored strands to multiple-ply strands of colored threads. Stitching varies in size and stitches per inch.
The quilt is backed with a self patterned cream curtain panel. A printed binding, applied by hand to the front and brought almost entirely to the back is only partially visible on three sides. The binding is applied in tiny whip stitches in multiple colors of thread.There is no binding on the left side where top and bottom are both turned in and stitched together. The artist's needle with cream colored cotton thread is left in the quilt at the lower left center by the red/blue/yellow seven pointed star.
The Baltimore Museum of Art by purchase, 2012; Joyce Scott, Baltimore, by descent; the artist
Eva Ungar Grudin, Stitching Memories: African-American Story Quilts, Massachusetts: Williams College Museum of Art, Travelled to the Baltimore Museum of Art, June 26 - August 26, 1990.
George Ciscle, "Eyewinker, Tumbleturds, and Candlebugs: The Art of Elizabeth Talford Scott," The Maryland Institute College of Art, January 15-March 1, 1998.
Anita Jones, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "New Arrivals: Art Quilts," December 16, 2015 - June 19, 2016.
Cecilia Wichmann, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Hitching Their Dreams to Untamed Stars: Joyce J. Scott & Elizabeth Talford Scott," May 15 - December 1, 2019.
George Ciscle, "Eyewinker, Tumbleturds, and Candlebugs: The Art of Elizabeth Talford Scott," The Maryland Institute College of Art, January 15-March 1, 1998.
Anita Jones, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "New Arrivals: Art Quilts," December 16, 2015 - June 19, 2016.
Cecilia Wichmann, The Baltimore Museum of Art, "Hitching Their Dreams to Untamed Stars: Joyce J. Scott & Elizabeth Talford Scott," May 15 - December 1, 2019.
Ciscle, George, "Eyewinker, Tumbleturds, and Candlebugs: The Art of Elizabeth Talford Scott," Baltimore, Maryland: The Maryland Institute College of Art, p.29 (illus.)
Grudin, Eva Ungar, Stitching Memories: African-American Story Quilts, Williams College Museum of Art, p. 32 Illus. on 31 or 33.
Godfrey, Mark and Katy Siegel, eds. Making Their Mark: Art by Women in the Shah Garg Collection. New York: Gregory R. Miller & Co., 2023. ill. p. 131.
Inscribed: Signed in purple and dark rose threads with inked periods at bottom left of center: "E.T.S." Cleaners woven tape sewn on lining at upper right on reverse near hanging velcro: "CHESAPEAKE/RUG & DRAPERY CLEANERS/Adjust-a-Drape [script]/FOLD FINISHING/ 10 [handwritten in ink or pencil] UNITS[;] 89 [handwritten in ink or pencil] LENGTHS [;] 80 [handwritten in ink or pencil] PLEATS// 3132 [handwritten in ink or pencil] INVOICE NO."
Artist
Elizabeth Talford Scott
born Chester, SC 1916; died Baltimore, MD 2011
Meet Elizabeth Talford Scott