Antique Quilt With Signed/Stitched Dated 1851 ‘Ohio Star’ or ‘Sawtooth Star’ Pattern Priceless

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This is a rare gem that should really be in a museum. The Ohio Star (or Sawtooth Star) is a … Read more This is a rare gem that should really be in a museum. The Ohio Star (or Sawtooth Star) is a classic quilt pattern originating in the early 1800s, featuring an eight-pointed star formed by four quarter-square triangle units, four corner squares, and a center square. It is known for its versatility in both traditional (red, white, and blue) and scrappy designs, often used in historical Underground Railroad narratives. The pattern is ideal for intermediate quilters due to the precision required for the triangle points.

This green and red Ohio Star has the initials of the craftsperson and year the quilt was made stitched in, with the outer edges of the quilt making use of contrasting sawtooth and floral borders.

From the Metropolitan Museum of Art:

During the heyday of quiltmaking in the nineteenth century, America’s increasingly mobile population was moving westward, settling in the wilderness. Easily portable, and certainly necessary, bedcovers might be some of the few decorative objects a woman had in her home. Bedcovers were often wedding gifts, or made by a young woman to take with her to her future husband’s house. If that new home was distant from friends and family, a bedcover became an important keepsake from her old life. Quilts were also made to celebrate the birth of a child, as gifts to thank important members of the community such as the local minister, and even sometimes in remembrance of the dead. See less