Minneapolis Institute of Art

Diamond and Square quilt

United States (Pennsylvania), Amish

Date

c. 1910–20

Medium

Cotton, pieced and quilted

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

With its fine hand quilting and no sign of having been washed, this Diamond in Square quilt was likely meant for display, not use as a bedcover. Though Amish people are devoted to simplicity, their centuries-long quilting tradition has been sustained by their appreciation for quilts as objects of beauty. The Amish adhere to a strict Christian faith with roots in the Protestant Reformation of the 1500s, in northern Europe. In the 1690s they parted ways with other Protestants as they committed to a life of extreme simplicity. Over time, this led them to forgo modern conveniences like motorized vehicles and farm equipment, indoor plumbing, and electricity. Yet even though the Amish reject modernity and artistic expression (unless balanced by utility, as with a quilt), mainstream cultural critics have praised their bold quilt designs as outstanding works of abstract art. United States, Americas

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