http://worldcat.org/entity/work/id/997715862

Signs and symbols : African images in African-American quilts

"Many African American quilts are the visual equivalent of blues, jazz, and gospel--rich with color and symbolism. Characterized by strips, bright colors, large designs, asymmetry, multiple patterns, improvisations, and symbolic forms, historian Maude S. Wahlman contends that these African-American quilts have their roots in African textile techniques and cultural traditions. African influence on the history of music, dance, and speech in the New World has long been documented, but African influence on American quiltmaking is less well known. It is possible to trace African textile techniques, religious symbols, and aesthetic traditions that were adapted by African American textile innovators to the needs and resources of a new world. Emphasizing quilts' spiritual functions as much as their formal qualities, this well-illustrated book combines multidisciplinary research with in-depth looks at living African-American artists."--Provided by Publisher.

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