Band, Swaddling

Object number2014.17.1

Date1917

MediumFabric

Credit LineGift of Lucille Chebatoris.

DescriptionWhite fabric swaddling cloth.DimensionsHeight x Width x Depth: 6.5 × 95 in. (16.5 × 241.3 cm)
InscriptionsEmbroidered with the words "Idolo Mio" in cursive italics repeated six times; this translates to "my idol."
Historical NotesEmbroidered swaddling cloth, known as a fascia per bambini (band for children) in Italian, which belonged to the donor's mother, Mary Cerminara Mascaro. Mary used this swaddling cloth in 1917 after the birth of her first child, Joseph. The cloth is embroidered with the words idolo mio, which translates to "my idol" in English. In the 1920s, Patsy and Mary Mascaro brought their three young children to Italy to visit the elder generation of Mascaro's that stayed behind in Calabria. Patsy's parents were so enamored with his eldest son Joseph that they asked if he would remain in Italy so that they could raise him. It would seem that the words from the child's swaddling cloth forecasted the way his Italian grandparents viewed him. Joseph Mascaro stayed in Italy with his grandparents until the eve of World War II, at which point the young man was forced to return to the United States or forfeit his American citizenship.

Previous owner Mary Cerminara Mascaro

Related person Joseph Mascaro

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