NOTES
Floral medallions, diamond designs, and curving tendrils alternate across this coverlet, or bedcover, created by a noted family of weavers in Indiana. John LaTourette (1793-1849) was a successful weaver who trained his children Sarah and Henry to follow in his footsteps. Sarah was one of the few women professional weavers in the United States; she retired after her marriage in 1870.
This coverlet is made from two panels joined with a center seam. The panels were woven on a hand loom with a Jacquard attachment, a 19th-century innovation that allowed weavers to design and create intricate patterns. The scrolling flower and vine border on three sides and floral corner block design were LaTourette family trademarks. Since coverlets are reversible, the corners were woven so that the date could be read on either side. This coverlet, commissioned in 1849, was passed down through six generations of a family before being donated to the Saint Louis Art Museum.
