Images(3)

Sham, Pillow

Object number2016.13.4 a,b

Artist Rosalia Mazzotti

Date1900-1910

OriginMontecorvino Pugliano, Salerno, Italy

MediumFabric

Credit LineGift of Norina H. Daubner

DescriptionPair of pillow shams. Off-white brocade fabric. Handmade. Each sham is rectangular and has fringe along the short ends. Both have the same embroidered text at one end, but the design differs slightly: one of the shams's text is horizontal with branches bearing leaves and flowers; while the other sham's text slopes downward toward bottom right corner and has branches with leaves, a flower, and a bunch of grapes or flower buds.DimensionsLength x Width x Depth (a): 48 × 24.875 × 0.188 in. (121.9 × 63.2 × 0.5 cm)
Length x Width x Depth (b): 48.5 × 25.5 × 0.188 in. (123.2 × 64.8 × 0.5 cm)
InscriptionsEach pillow sham has embroidered text at one of the short ends "Buon Giorno";
Translation: "Good Morning".
Historical NotesThe donor Norina H. Daubner's family saved biancheria, or linenware, from her maternal grandmother, Rosalia “Rose” Mazzotti, in a trousseau, also known as a corredo in Italian. Both sides of the donor’s family emigrated from the village of Montecorvino Pugliano outside Salerno. It is presumed that the tablecloths, shams, runner and nightgown were created as a part of a dowry per the Italian marriage tradition; this assumption is based on the quality of the stitching and the use of the greeting Buon Giorno on the bedding. Italian women began the process of building their corredo as children (some women even grew the flax that they then wove into linen). Based on the size of the table cloths, it is also assumed that the pieces were made in Italy as the donor relayed that the table in their East Liberty dining room was much too small to accommodate such a large linen. It was typical for Italian immigrants to migrate with their handwoven linens.

Previous owner Rosalia Mazzotti

Previous owner Rose Rinaldy

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