On this day in 1892, Pearl Bayley (nee Sydenstricker) was born in Hillsboro, West Virginia, to parents on break from missionary work in China. Buck’s novel “The Good Earth” (1930), describing peasant life in China, won the Pulitzer and Nobel Peace prizes and was translated into 30 languages. Buck received many awards for her humanitarian activities. She died in 1973.
This reversible block pattern quilt was made in the Badaling District outside of Beijing by an unnamed quiltmaker. The quilt was purchased by a Michigan State University Museum staff member and is now in the permanent collection of the museum. From this record: “Contemporary visitors to the Great Wall in the Badaling region outside of Beijing, China have the opportunity to purchase a great array of hand-crafted items including the “five poisonous creatures” – toad, snake, centipede, lizard, and scorpion – locally believed to ward away evil spirits. This particular piece was purchased from a woman carrying her wares on top of the wall.”
View this quilt on The Quilt Index to find out! Read more about its history, design and construction. Be sure to use the zoom tool for a detailed view or click the “See full record” link to see a larger image and all the data entered about that quilt.
Source:
http://www.history.com/this-day-in-history/pearl-bucks-birthday
Posted by Amy E. Milne
Executive Director, Quilt Alliance
amy.milne@quiltalliance.org