{"product_id":"crossbody-phone-case-wallet-the-witches-dance","title":"Crossbody Phone Case \u0026 Wallet — The Witches’ Dance","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Witches’ Dance Collection Fusing Robert Burns’s Poetry, Lizzie Doten’s Trance Poetry \u0026amp; Charles Winter’s Rare Painting\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThis design is inspired by a rare nineteenth-century American oil painting held in the Mayflower Descendants Museum (MDM), founded by American Tapestry’s creative director and founder. Painted in 1851 by American artist Charles Winter (born ca. 1825), \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThe Witches’ Dance in Tam o’ Shanter\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e is an exceptionally uncommon surviving work by an artist for whom the museum’s research has thus far identified only four documented paintings and very limited biographical records. The Smithsonian notes that the Brooklyn Museum holds three works associated with Winter, including surviving portraiture, while this dramatic narrative scene represents an especially unusual departure from the portrait painting principally associated with his known work.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eWinter’s painting traces its artistic lineage to an 1839 steel engraving designed after John Masey Wright and engraved by Samuel S. Smith for Virtue \u0026amp; Co., illustrating Scottish poet \u003cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eRobert Burns’s\u003c\/strong\u003e famous 1790 poem \u003cem style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTam o’ Shanter\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cspan data-olk-copy-source=\"MessageBody\"\u003eThis painting is part of a supernatural thread explored by the Mayflower Descendants Museum involving Mayflower descendant and trance poet Lizzie Doten, who claimed that famous deceased poets—including Robert Burns—dictated poetry through her. To learn more about this fascinating connection between art, poetry, and the supernatural, watch the museum’s video found on the social media accounts listed below.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eSwipe to see the painting.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eMeet the New American Art Museum Bringing History into Public View Through Art and Artifacts\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Mayflower Descendants Museum is an American art museum whose holdings bring together a wide range of artists and stories—from talented and emerging artists, some of whom may not yet have been represented in museum collections, to artists whose work was overlooked or little known during their lifetimes, to artists represented in some of the world’s most significant institutional and royal collections.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eIn the latter category, artists represented in the Museum’s collection can also be found in institutions including the Louvre in Paris; the British Royal Collection; the Victoria and Albert Museum; the Royal Shakespeare Theatre Picture Gallery in Stratford-upon-Avon; The Metropolitan Museum of Art; the Smithsonian; and the Whitney Museum of American Art, among others.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe Museum’s holdings also include works that have never before been on public view, created by both American and international artists whose art, objects, and stories intersect with the broader American story connected to Mayflower descendants—a diverse global population estimated to number more than 35 million.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eThe Literary Voyeur — Tam’s Forbidden Glimpse of the Witches’ Dance\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp data-pm-slice=\"1 1 []\"\u003eIn Burns’s poem, Tam rides home late at night on his mare, Maggie, passing the ruined Alloway Kirk, where he discovers witches and warlocks dancing wildly while the Devil provides the music. As the dance grows increasingly frenzied, one young witch, Nannie, stands out from the rest. Dressed in a very short shift, she leaps and dances with such energy that Tam becomes bewitched.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eUnable to contain his enthusiasm, he cries:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Weel done, Cutty‑sark!”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn Scots, he is essentially saying \u003cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Well done, \u003cem\u003eshort skirt\u003c\/em\u003e!”\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cul role=\"list\"\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ecutty\u003c\/strong\u003e = short\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003esark\u003c\/strong\u003e = a light shift or undergarment\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/li\u003e\n\u003c\/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eBurns is referring to Nannie’s short garment, with Tam effectively cheering her on as she dances.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eHis shout immediately gives him away. The gathering turns on him, the witches give chase, and Tam races toward the Brig o’ Doon, where he knows they cannot pursue him across running water. He escapes over the bridge, but Nannie reaches Maggie just in time to tear away the mare’s tail.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eLizzie Doten: The Trance Poet Who Claimed Burns as Her Guide\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eAn unexpected American thread connects the story to nineteenth‑century Spiritualism through \u003cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eLizzie Doten (1827–1913)\u003c\/strong\u003e, born in Plymouth, Massachusetts.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDoten became known as a Spiritualist lecturer and trance poet. She described periods in which ordinary sensory awareness diminished and she believed herself capable of receiving communications from what she called “disembodied spirits.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eIn her \u003cem style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003ePoems from the Inner Life\u003c\/em\u003e, held by MDM, Doten published poems she believed had been communicated through her by deceased writers, including \u003cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eEdgar Allan Poe, William Shakespeare, and Robert Burns\u003c\/strong\u003e. The museum’s copy contains two poems identified as having been “given under the inspiration of Robert Burns.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eDoten described Burns’s presence herself:\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cblockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cem\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“The influence of Burns was pleasant, easy, and exhilarating.”\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/em\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/blockquote\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eFor Doten, “inspiration” meant far more than literary influence; she believed Burns’s spirit was communicating through her as a medium.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eOne of the two Burns‑attributed poems in the volume, \u003cstrong style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003e“Words O’ Cheer,”\u003c\/strong\u003e is particularly intriguing beside \u003cem style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTam o’ Shanter\u003c\/em\u003e. Its darker language and supernatural atmosphere invite comparison with the eerie world Burns created in the witches’ dance. The similarity does not establish that \u003cem style=\"white-space: pre-wrap;\"\u003eTam o’ Shanter\u003c\/em\u003e directly inspired the poem, but it creates a remarkable literary connection between Doten’s claimed communications with Burns and the scene depicted in Winter’s painting. \u003cstrong\u003eThis design carries forward a historical narrative shaped by art, literature, and the supernatural.\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAbout American Tapestry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmerican Tapestry, founded by Cherie Behrens, is a heritage-driven lifestyle house inspired by historic art and artifacts connected to the American story—often more than a century old—translated into handbags, travel accessories, home décor, jewelry, glassware, games, furniture, textiles, and more. Every design is created by Cherie Behrens and draws inspiration exclusively from works and objects held by the Mayflower Descendants Museum, which she also founded. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eAmerican Tapestry follows the unexpected threads that connect the Museum’s holdings to American art, artifacts, literature, and cultural history. Not every work that inspires a collection was created by an American artist; some enter the American story through r\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003eesearch that reveals their ties to American people, objects, and narratives.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003eTo discover the threads behind each collection, visit the Museum at\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cspan style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"www.mayflowerdescendantsmuseum.org\" title=\"Mayflower Descendants Museum\" style=\"font-size: 0.875rem;\"\u003ewww.mayflowerdescendantsmuseum.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eThrough these holdings, we trace the stitches of America’s past—uncovering connections among people, places, objects, art, literature, and history that together reveal an interwoven American tapestry.\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOur mission is simple: \u003c\/strong\u003eto bring historic art, design, artifacts, and the stories that intersect with them forward into the present and into everyday life—bringing often‑invisible history into view.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnect with American Tapestry\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003eWebsite: \u003c\/span\u003e\u003ca href=\"http:\/\/www.thehouseofamericantapestry.com\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003ewww.thehouseofamericantapestry.com\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eInstagram: @americantapestryofficial\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eFacebook: American Tapestry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eYouTube: @thehouseofamericantapestry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eTikTok: @americantapestry\u003c\/span\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cspan\u003eX: @americantapestr\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cspan\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eConnect with the Mayflower Descendants Museum\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWebsite: \u003ca href=\"https:\/\/www.mayflowerdescendantsmuseum.org\/\"\u003ewww.mayflowerdescendantsmuseum.org\u003c\/a\u003e\u003cbr\u003eInstagram: @mayflowerdescendantsmuseum\u003cbr\u003eFacebook: Mayflower Descendants Museum\u003cbr\u003eYouTube: @mayflowerdescendantsmuseum\u003cbr\u003eTikTok: @mayflowermuseum\u003cbr\u003eX: @MayflowerMuseum\u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eProduct features\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- 100% high-grade microfiber faux leather for a leather-like look and feel\u003cbr\u003e- Vibrant, museum-quality printed front with black microfiber leather back\u003cbr\u003e- Lightweight, compact size: 7.5\" × 4.9\" × 1\"\u003cbr\u003e- Two main flip-up compartments plus 1 pocket and 3 hidden card slots\u003cbr\u003e- Detachable, adjustable faux-leather strap (75–130 cm) with smooth black zipper\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eCare instructions\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003cbr\u003e- Before cleaning the bag, remove all the items from the bag. Suggested to pretreat visible stains with stain remover. Mix warm water with laundry detergent and clean the bag with terry washcloth or soft bristle brush. Let the bag air dry.\u003cbr\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Printify","offers":[{"title":"7.5\" × 4.9\" × 1\"","offer_id":67582031429905,"sku":"26908295056238693056","price":178.0,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0974\/4098\/9457\/files\/1519760584021741632_2048.jpg?v=1790444387","url":"https:\/\/www.thehouseofamericantapestry.com\/products\/crossbody-phone-case-wallet-the-witches-dance","provider":"American Tapestry","version":"1.0","type":"link"}