The art collection of celebrated writer and civil rights activist Maya Angelou sold for nearly $1.3 million on Tuesday.
A painted story quilt that hung in Angelou's Harlem home and was commissioned by Oprah Winfrey for Angelou's 61st birthday brought $461,000 at the Swann Galleries sale.
``Maya's Quilt of Life'' by African-American artist Faith Ringgold depicts Angelou surrounded by flowers along with excerpts from some of her writings. The acrylic on canvas with a pieced fabric border had a pre-sale estimate of $150,000 to $250,000.
The Underground Railroad was the secret path that enslaved people used to escape from their owners. This secret path was neither underground nor a railroad. It got its name because the enslaved people who took it disappeared without a trace, as if they were traveling underground. The Underground Railroad was made up of hiding places known as “stations,” and the people who helped them were known as “railroad workers.” Railroad workers and enslaved people used quilt codes to send secret messages to each other. Below are some of the quilt code patterns and their hidden meanings.
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