New York Beauty Quilt, signed; circa 1880s antique quilt; handmade; hand-quilted; Rocky Mountain Road; Crown of Thorns; vintage quilt

This is a very rare New York Beauty Quilt, also known as Rocky Mountain Road or Crown of Thorns. As a quilt collector, New York Beauty Quilts are near, if not at, the top of the list. They are rare because they are one of the most difficult designs to execute -- each piece must be perfectly set in order for the blocks to line up and the overall design to take shape.

This quilt is circa 1880s and is signed in three places. In two places it is signed "AIB" and in another it is signed "TBL". It's not clear whether this means there were three people who put this together (two of whom had the same initials "AIB") or whether AIB just signed it twice. Given the big difference between the two AIB signatures, I'm leaning toward three quilters.

Whoever put it together, they did an amazing job. Not only is the very difficult patchwork perfectly done, but the hand quilting is as intricate as quilting can be. The rows of quilting in the pieced part of the quilt could not be closer without touching, the stitches are tiny, and the intricate flower patterns in the white spaces are as intricate and complicated -- and perfectly executed -- as one would hope with a New York Beauty Quilt.

Added to one side of the quilt - probably the chin rest -- are a series of what appear to clouds and rainbows, maybe to induce sound sleep? The other three sides are simply bound by the same materials that butt up against the border or by white cotton binding in the same material that's used on the front and back. The cotton batting is lightweight.

The quilt is in excellent condition, especially considering that it is 120+ years old. There has been fading of the coral fabric and some minimal deterioration of the same fabric. Parts of the white cotton have started to yellow in a way that is still minor and would probably go away with a soak, but this is one quilt I have never soaked due to fear of color transfer by the green fabric.

It is approximately 67 inches by 77 inches and comes from a smoke-free and pet-free home. Pictured on a queen-size bed.

International customers: if actual shipping cost is lower than Etsy estimate, I will refund you the difference. I also combine shipping with multiple items.