Ralli
Haleema, circa 1994
Phuleli Village, Middle Sindh, Pakistan
Cotton; hand pieced, appliquéd, and quilted
Patricia Stoddard Collection, partial gift of the Robert and Ardis James Foundation

IQM 2016.012.0077

lt patterns and quilt pattern names often reflect everyday life and objects. Here in the U.S., we have patterns like Log Cabin, Hole in the Barn Door, and Carpenter’s Square. The Pakistani maker of this vibrant quilt called her design Biso Bulo or “Nose Jewel and Nose Ring.” The square blocks in the quilt’s center alternate between two patterns: a green and orange diagonally-split square; and a red “nose jewel” surrounded by a black “nose ring.” Nose jewelry has significance for women of many different ethnic and religious groups in South Asia, sometimes being a sign of married status, social standing, or devotion to a particular deity. Thus, it makes perfect sense that Haleema of Middle Sindh, Pakistan chose this motif for her quilted masterpiece. Collector and ralli quilt scholar Patricia Stoddard purchased the quilt from the maker in the late 1990s and it is now part of the 200-piece Patricia Stoddard Collection at the IQM, which represents a significant portion of our 600+ quilts from South Asia.