Tuesday, July 18, 2023

RUG WITH A STORY

Don't be thrown off by the very tattered rug below as I believe it has a wonderful story to tell.  It was found in an estate in Waltham, MA and  believed to be the handiwork of a WWI nurse who lived there.
The rug was found in this condition and because of the other objects found in her estate is why they believe she was a WWI nurse.  So let us explore the design.  Why is the word "QUIZ" at the top??   What is that date? 
I can make out JAN 6 19??.
In the photo above it appears to be a dog to the left, a hard to decipher date and house, or at least a door to a building of some sort.  Below is the back side of that section with the date which is hard to read.  
Then there is the girl with a jump rope at the bottom and flowers.
So I've been thinking about this rug since seeing it and have a couple thoughts/questions.  Did the woman hook this about her own childhood memories?  If it is true she was a nurse during WWI was it also a 'quiz' for her wounded patients?  Could it be a quiz to test the wounded military on their mental awareness?

Oh so many thoughts running thru my mind when seeing this rug and learning the antique dealer believed it was from a WWI nurse.  Antique  hooked rugs have so many stories in their history which intrigues me.  

As for my rugs?  I have only designed a few rugs; one of my mother looking at a fish bowl (which needs to be tweaked) and 3 of my departed fur babies which you can see on my blog's right side bar.  But mostly I  prefer hooking antique adaptations I admire as each of them gives me pause to wonder about the hooker, her thoughts and capture the beauty she hooked.  

Happy hooking.  Hope all of you are staying cool.  The lake is still here with more rain in the forecast but weatherman says it will bring in less humid and reasonable temps this weekend.  Am looking forward to that for sure.

Saundra




12 comments:

  1. Very interesting indeed. I wonder what happened to the rest of the rug and yes the dog and girl do have me wondering why these motifs were added with the word quiz and date. Janice

    ReplyDelete
  2. We may never know the meaning behind the inscriptions. Quiz must have been thought important as it's very prominent in the rug. It's a very interesting rug. It's a shame that we don't know more about the story told in this old rug. Thanks for sharing.
    Hugs, Julia

    ReplyDelete
  3. It is a quiz for sure in what she meant. We are suppose to go into better weather. What a horrid summer weather wise.
    Cathy

    ReplyDelete
  4. Very sweet mat! Gets u thinking for sure,,,
    Elaine

    ReplyDelete
  5. I'm thinking that looks like 1943 for the year. And is it known for certain the owner was a rug hooker? Figuring out the reason for "Quiz" will be a huge puzzle.
    The girl with jump rope...sweet!

    ReplyDelete
  6. I wonder if the dog's name was 'Quiz'? it is a busy, beautiful rug that looks to have been well-loved...

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. and again that comment above was by me, Lori {NFF} google is a pain in the butt lol

      Delete
    2. I think Lori, (Anonymous may be on to something.
      Julia

      Delete
  7. I like the stories that are told by the rugs. That one was so interesting. I lean a bit to more whimsical when I draw out rugs.
    I hope your lake doesn't get any bigger. Its hot here, but its nice to stay inside. I worked out in the flowerbeds before the sun was up.
    Have a wonderful day.

    ReplyDelete
  8. The rug is very interesting ...I love the colors ....I like Lori's idea her dog's name is Quiz !
    Today was finally less humid & things are drying out ....for a day or two , fingers crossed !

    ReplyDelete
  9. I'm in Lori's camp with the word "Quiz." I don't think it would have been a "quiz" for her patients as WWI was 1914 -1918...That 3rd number in the date certainly doesn't look like a "1" no matter how I try to wrap my head around it. But a fascinating mystery it is. Like some other things, we'll likely never know. 😉 ~Robin~

    ReplyDelete
  10. It is amazing that rug was not discarded! A mystery indeed.
    I wish we would get some of that rain you have been inundated with!!!

    ReplyDelete

Thanks for taking the time to visit and I always welcome comments.