Stenciled bedcovers are relatively rare and appear to have been made primarily in New England and New York State. Their popularity was most prevalent during the second quarter of the nineteenth century, when stenciled decoration adorned the interior walls in many homes, and the art of theorem painting was taught to young women in schools. Such bedcovers most frequently combine stenciled and painted blocks with chintz blocks when they are quilted, as in this example. The quilt features twenty stenciled blocks set on point, alternating with printed blocks in the popular "Pheasant and Tree" design, which was introduced by Bannister Hall in England in 1815. The brilliant colors were probably achieved by a combination of watercolor and dyeing techniques and by the use of chemical compounds. A handwritten note that survived with this quilt states that is was made in Conway, Massachusetts, by Olivia Dunham and her sister, in anticipation of Olivia's marriage to Romulus Barnes of Connecticut. Shortly after their marriage, the couple moved to Illinois. There, the quilt passed through the family as a wedding present for each ensuing generation.

Stacy C. Hollander, "Stenciled Quilt," exhibition label for ALSO ON VIEW: Selections from the Collection. Stacy C. Hollander, curator. New York: American Folk Art Museum, 2014.