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Additional Artworks

From San Jose Museum of Quilts & Textiles

  1. Puss in the Corner by Hystercine Rankin, Image 1.

    Hystercine Rankin

    Puss in the Corner, 1996

    Cottons

    92 x 91 in (233.68 x 231.14 cm)

  2. Hit Or Miss, One Patch by Geraldine Nash, Image 1.

    Geraldine Nash

    Hit Or Miss, One Patch, 1995

    Cottons in African Prints (imported)

    92 x 89 in (233.68 x 226.06 cm)

  3. Two sided Jesus Quilt by Susie Porter, Image 2.

    Susie Porter

    Two sided Jesus Quilt, 1990

    Cotton, polyester blends

    91 x 66.5 in (231.14 x 168.91 cm)

  4. Ten Commandments by Hystercine Rankin, Image 1.

    Hystercine Rankin

    Ten Commandments, c. 1990

    Cottons, metallic threads, African fabrics

    51 x 109.5 in (129.54 x 278.13 cm)

  5. Pinwheel by Geraldine Nash, Image 1.

    Geraldine Nash

    Pinwheel, 1990

    Cotton, African fabrics

    79 x 67 in (200.66 x 170.18 cm)

  6. Log Cabin Courthouse Steps Variation by Unknown Artist, Image 1.

    Unknown Artist

    Log Cabin Courthouse Steps Variation, 1965

    Wool

    86.5 x 71 in (219.71 x 180.34 cm)

  7. Nine Patch with Daisies by Unknown Artist, Image 1.

    Unknown Artist

    Nine Patch with Daisies, c. 1950

    Wool suitings, cotton flannel backing

    83 x 83 in (210.82 x 210.82 cm)

  8. Continuous Nine Patch by Unknown Artist, Image 1.

    Unknown Artist

    Continuous Nine Patch, 1940

    Wool, cotton flannel backing

    81.5 x 70 in (207.01 x 177.8 cm)

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About the artist

Hystercine Rankin

African American

1929-2010

Hystercine(pronounced "Her-teh-seen") Rankin (1929-2010) learned quilting from her grandmother at the age of 12 and started making quilts to keep her family warm. She made traditional quilts like the log cabin, but created her own unique versions of them, utilizing colors and shapes to create distinctive works. Hystercine Rankin was born September 11, 1929, on a farm in the Blue Hill community of Jefferson County, Mississippi.

In 1982, Camille Cosby, wife of entertainer Bill Cosby, bought several of Rankin's quilts. "I never would have thought that when you had to quilt, you would ever get a nickel from them," Rankin said. With the help of Mississippi Cultural Crossroads, an arts organization in Port Gibson, she was soon filling orders for more quilts, providing money for her children's college tuition. All seven graduated from Alcorn State University.

Rankin has been recognized for her achievements by several agencies. The Mississippi Arts Commission awarded her the Susan B. Herron Fellowship in 1991. Her work has been displayed in touring exhibitions mounted by Mississippi Cultural Crossroads, the Mississippi Arts Commission, and others. She served as a demonstrator at the 1996 Festival of American Folklife in Washington D.C. And in 1997, she was a recipient of a National Heritage Fellowship from the National Endowment for the Arts.