In the mid-1880s, the fabric that bound cigars in consumer packaging became a popular, albeit brief, collectible in American culture — so popular that cigarette companies chose to produce similar fabrics as well. But unlike cigar silks — which served a practical purpose — the small, printed fabrics included with cigarettes were used solely for marketing. A variety of images were printed on these fabrics, also known as "premiums," and women incorporated them in quilted items to better display their collections. Flags, flowers, and famous people are some of the images found on premiums. 

This piece is believed to have be crafted around the turn of the 20th century and came to the IQM as part of the Ardis and Robert James Collection — the initial collection that established the museum in 1997. It features cotton flannel premiums in different sizes depicting national flags from around the world. 

Visit the IQM's Pumphrey Family Gallery for more tobacco premium quilts. “At a Premium: Tobacciana in the Late-Nineteenth and Early-Twentieth Centuries” is on display featuring the work of quilt artist Greta Mikkelsen.