Samuel Graham; coverlet; Figured and Fancy, double-cloth; 1847; Indiana

Samuel Graham (1805-1871) of Henry and Delaware Counties, Indiana wove this blue and white, Figured and Fancy, double-cloth coverlet featuring the profile of presidential candidate and Major General Zachary Taylor in 1847. The centerfield is made of up double profile bust portaits of Taylor which form squares which are filled with double fylfot or swastika designs. The fylfot is a common folk motif that can be traced back millennia. The three borders all depict a tree design. Beyond the tree border is a very thin border of the words, "Rough and Ready" repeated over and over. “Rough and Ready” was Taylor’s nickname earned during his many battles against Native American groups and in the Mexican-American War and was later used as a campaign slogan during the election campaign of 1847-1848. The cornerblocks feature a spread-wing eagle on a branch. This is Graham’s preferred trademark design. = The date 1847 appears in two corners. The coverlet was constructed from two panels and measures 83 inches by 76 inches. The coverlet originally belonged to U.S. Representative, Hamilton Fish’s (NY) secretary, George Hill who inherited the coverlet from his mother.

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