The bedcoverings in the Museum of Early Southern Decorative Arts (MESDA) and Old Salem collections cannot be described by one term alone. This book features thirty-nine quilts, coverlets, and counterpanes?most of which were made and used in the South?that represent the richness and variety of bedcoverings from the late eighteenth century through the nineteenth. <p>Early bedcoverings can be studied from a variety of perspectives, including those gleaned from such documents as newspapers, wills and inventories, and family histories. In an introduction to this beautifully illustrated catalogue, Paula W. Locklair explores what bedcoverings were called, the techniques and fabrics used to make them, and their value in the households of the period. Whether embroidered, patchwork, appliquŽd, or woven, the bedcoverings highlighted here offer new insights into the lives, talents, and imaginations of American women in the early South. <p> Old Salem encompasses the restored Moravian town of Salem and MESDA, the only museum devoted to the decorative arts of the early South. Both are located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.