Photograph by Ed Pollard, Canon EOS 5D Mark II digital slr-2020.

Ancestry Rag Rug

Artist Maizelle Brown (American, born ca. 1940)

Date2000-2003

MediumKnotted cotton African print cloth

Dimensions81 × 45 × 3 in. (205.7 × 114.3 × 7.6 cm)

ClassificationsContemporary art

Credit LineMuseum purchase

Object number2020.11

On View

Not on view

DescriptionHand-knotted cotton strips of African print cloth on mesh background. Ancestry Rag Rug reflects the artist’s oeuvre as a visual storyteller. The fiber work connects to the history of quilting within the African American culture, and the use of “African” print bridges the pieces across the Atlantic to the African continent. The title also highlights the artist’s desire to preserve history into the present and future generations.