Quilt, “Strip” pattern

Ida Bell Bester

About 1975-1980

  • Titles Quilt, "Strip" pattern (Descriptive)
  • Artist Ida Bell Bester, American, Emelle, Alabama, 1901 - 1993
  • Medium textiles
  • Dimensions 90 × 81 in. (228.6 × 205.7 cm)
  • Credit Line Collection of the Art Fund, Inc. at the Birmingham Museum of Art; Robert and Helen Cargo African American Quilt Collection; Gift of Caroline Cargo, AFI.786.2013
  • Work Type quilt
  • Classification Quilts

See More of the Collection

Mosaic quilt
Rectangles/strip quilt in gray, green, and blue.
A figural jug depicting an African-American man with exaggerated facial features, particularly his caricatured lips, nose and ears. His curly hair is formed by incised repeating loops, resembling scribbles. He wears a cap, hoop earrings, shirt with a stand up collar (and single visible stud or button), cravat, and a coat with broad lapels and buttons impressed with “J. LEHMAN,” the maker’s name. A large, buckle-like square probably surrounded a paper label for whatever product the jug contained. The figure has arms, but no hands, and is rendered to appear as if his hands are shoved in the pockets of his coat. There are small air holes at the back of each arm to prevent an explosion during firing. The jug’s handle is a shaped like the number 9, and is finished (where the tail of the handle meets the body of the jug) with a mold-formed grape and grape leaf motif found in some of Lehman’s other decorated vessels. There appears to be an oval incised on the bottom of the vessel.
Futura vase, Model 393-12” or “Four Ball Vase.” Geometrically designed slender vase with brown and green glaze; rests on a simple, square-shaped base; the body composed of four sides to create a square-shaped rim. A round form extends from the bottom of each side, where the body meets the base. Linear color designs in the form of triangles emphasize the form’s verticality and geometric nature.