I heard two radio announcers chatting the other day. One of them had just made some sort of mistake, and he excused himself by saying (I'm paraphrasing here): "When Quakers make a quilt, they always deliberately make some imperfection somewhere, out of respect for God, because it's supposed to remind them that only God is perfect."

This struck me as odd because (1) I have been associating with Quakers for many years, and I have never heard them mention such a rule; (2) Quakers aren't particularly known for quilt making (Maybe the announcer was thinking of the Amish.); (3) I have heard this story before, but when I heard it, it went: "When the Navajo weave a blanket.…"

I've been Googling phrases like "deliberate imperfection" and I have found this belief, or something like it, attributed to Persian rug makers, ancient Greek sculptors, Jewish house-builders (who will not build a perfect house until the temple is rebuilt in Jerusalem), and Japanese Zen potters. Maybe there are more versions.

I suspect what we have here is an urban myth.

I would like to know:

1. Have you heard some version this story before? What ethnic group, and what art or craft were mentioned?

2. Do you know any artisan who actually follows this precept?

3. (This is a long shot, I know.) Can you cite any authoritative source, such as a reference book, ethnographic study, or other scholarly work, that attributes this belief/practice to a specific group?