Caswell Carpet c. 1835, Castleton, Vermont by Zeruah Higley Guernsey (later Caswell), worked in chain stitch in colored wools on dyed homespun. 12 feet x 12 feet 6 inches.
The "Caswell carpet" is an outstanding example of American folk art of the 19th century. The project took Zeruah Higley Guernsey Caswell the better part of five years to embroider.
Caswell was an accomplished needle worker. She sheared, carded, and spun the wools from her own sheep, dyed them, and wove the coarse "homespun" fabric that was used as the foundation for the embroidery. Her father was a known manufacturer of spinning wheels and related tools and so it is said that Caswell used a wooden needle to do this work.
The embroidery was done on a tambour frame; each of the sixty-six motifs was worked separately and sewn together later. Two of the squares carry the initials of two Indians of the Potawatami tribe who were studying at the medical college in Castleton, Vermont. Each of the townspeople took turns boarding the students and it was likely during their stay at the Guernsey (Caswell) house that the two panels were made.
Point yourselves to the Met's textile database on the museum website so that you can zoom in on the panels!