This is a Victorian (c.1900) cigar ribbon game table quilt, likely used in a smoking room or “batchelor’s den.”

The period between the Civil War and World War l marked the height of cigar manufacturing and use in the United States. Around 1900, there were 350,000 cigar manufacturers in the US. Cigars were bundled and tied with brilliant yellow (predominately) silk ribbons printed with the cigar manufacturers logo and/or name. These ribbons were collected and sewn by women to create table covers, pillow, curtains, and even dresses and jackets. The collecting of these ribbons was so popular that women could purchase them alone, without the cigars, for 4 cents each. Indeed, this must have been the case in order to amass the quantities needed to make large quilts. Research suggests the table covers and pillows were given as gifts in an act of courtship.

With little knowledge of the subject matter, Heather purchased this quilt at an estate sale in Wayland, Massachusetts, attracted by its age, outstanding design, and workmanship. Subsequently, she brought it to the New England Quilt Museum (Lowell, MA) to be documented by, and included in, the MassQuilt Project (www.massquilts.org). The project “encourages the study and preservation of quilts and demonstrates that these textiles convey important insights about the lives of Massachusetts women from the colonial period to the present.”

This quilt measures 37 x 36 3/4 inches. The pattern is a nine patch setting of strip medallion blocks. The silk ribbons are hand sewn with feather stitching. The back is two pieces of silk—one large, plus one small strip. Though not included in the MassQuilt documentation, it has wool batting. The design is outstanding and construction solid. Consistent with its age and use, there is soil, fading, fringe loss, staining, and fraying. It may have been washed at one time. The silk ribbon fringe is fragile. Do not wash! Included will be the MassQuilt patch and documentation. The patch can be sewn on the reverse side or kept with the documents. Directions for the care of Victorian silk quilts will also be provided to the buyer.

Recommended viewing on YouTube:

“Curator Confidential-Cigar Ribbon Quilts: Crafting Masculinity” by Rebecca Klassan, Assistant Curator of Material Culture at the New York Historical Society Museum & Library. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VoSzqC654TA