VOLUME XV
SA.lVIPLI~G-S: A selected offering of antique samplers and needlework
M. Finkel~ Daughter. established 194 7 ANTIQUE TEXTILES AND PERIOD FURNITURE 936 Pine Street , Philadelphia , Pennsylvania 19107 215-627-7797
800-598-7432
fax 215-627-8199
Cover Illustration: silk embroidery by Louisa Whittemore, page 9 CopyrightŠ 1999 by M. Finkel & Daughter, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this Publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without the permission in writing from M. Finkel & Daughter, Inc. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Samplings ... volume XV "Like other forms of material culture, samplers are products of a particular society and thus reflect attitudes, expectations, and changes within that society. Samplers are also works of art that not only please modern eyes, but tell us what was considered aesthetically pleasing in the past. More importantly, these examples of plain and decorative needlework illuminate the lives of people often overlooked in written history: the girls and women who lived during the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries." The interest in schoolgirl samplers and silk embroideries as a window to understanding our history continues to grow. The above quote from Kim Smith lvey's new book, In the Neatest manner: The Making of the Virginia Sampler Tradition, which accompanies an exhibition of the same name at Colonial Williamsburg, well represents the basis for our interest in the field. Fortunately, we continue to discover fascinating examples and our genealogical research has been rewarding. We hope that you will share our enthusiasm. The selected bibliography included at the end of the catalogue is regularly updated and we refer to some of the books as they pertain to specific samplers. If any of these books prove difficult to procure, let us know and perhaps we can assist in locating them. 1997 marked the 50th anniversary of the founding of our firm, a fact of which we are quite proud. We like to think that our positive relationship with clients, many of whom are now second generation, is because of our commitment to customer satisfaction. Buying antiques should be based in large measure on trust and confidence, and we try to treat each customer as we ourselves like to be treated. We operate by appointment and are at the shop five days a week, except when we are exhibiting at an out-of-town antiques show. Please let us know of your plans to visit us. Every item in this catalogue is guaranteed to be authentic and original, and you can rely on our expertise in describing each piece as to age and condition. Most of the samplers are described as being "conservation mounted," and where this is noted, the work has been done according to description of the process at the back of this catalogue. All merchandise is offered subject to prior sale. Should your first choice be unavailable, we urge you to discuss your collecting objectives with any one of us. Our inventory is extensive, and we have many items not included in our catalogue. Moreover, through our sources, we can often locate the sampler that you are looking for; you will find us knowledgeable and helpful. Payment may be made by check, VISA, Mastercard, or American Express, and we ask for payment with your order. Pennsylvania residents should add 6% sales tax. All items are sold with a five day return privilege. Expert packing is included: shipping and insurance cost are extra. We prefer to ship via UPS second day air or Federal Express, insured. Amy Finkel Morris Finkel Martine Webber 800-598-7432 Are you interested in selling? We are constantly purchasing antique samplers and needlework and would like to know what you have for sale. We can purchase outright or act as your agent. Photographs sent to us will receive our prompt attention. Call us for more information.
AMERICA's LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF CONTENTS l1annah Carter, Dover, New Hampshire, 1805 ........................... ........ ... ....... ... page Pair of samplers by sisters Ann A. and Mary T. Chierdel, Philadelphia, 1817 ................................................................................. page Martha Ann Chesnut, Philadelphia, circa 1810 ............................ ....... ...... .... page S. Coleman, A Map of England and Wales, 1804 ........................ .. .... ............... page Mary Davies, England, 1845 .... ................................................. ....... .. ....... page Elizabeth Eldridge, Beverly, Massachusetts, 1837 .......................................... page Mary Ennis, Massachusetts, 1825 ............................................................... page Mary Jane Erwin, Pedricktown, Salem County, N.J., 1834 ................................. page Joan Finnie, Kilmarnock, Scotland, 1838 ................................ .................. . page Eliza Paul Gray, Lawrenceburgh, Kentucky, 1819 .......................................... page E. H., Pennsylvania German, circa 1875 .......................................... ............ page Anna Mary Herr, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1832 .................................... page L.S.H., The Netherlands, 1862 .................................................................. page Sarah Hip kin, England, June ye 6 day, 1766 ................................................ page Mary H. Husted, Rushville, Fairfield County, Ohio, 1836 ................................. page Eliza Kuhns, GreensBurgh, western Pennsylvania, 1814 .................... .... ......... page Hannah Marean, Hubbardston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, circa 1798 ........................................................................ page Hannah Maxwell, Philadelphia, 1827 ............................................. ... ......... page Hannah Darrow McClannin, Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1822 ..................... page Maria Antoni _ _ltrar, Mexican convent sampler, 1838 .................................... page Catharine Miller, 1834, Philadelphia ...... ............................................... .. .. ... page Sarah E. Perkins, Salem, Massachusetts, 1833 .......................... .. .... ............ . page Needlework Drawstring Bag, England, early 17th century .................. ...... ......... page Sarah Rex, Germantown, Pennsylvania, 1823 ................................................ page F. S., Amish, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania ................................ ........ ........ page Elizabeth Saunders, England, circa 1800 ...................................................... page Caroline B. Shelly Family Record, New York State, 1830 ................................. page Catharina Shutt, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1842 .............................. page Hannah Silver, Salem, Massachusetts, 1801 ................................................ page MaryS. Smith miniature, Pennsylvania, circa 1800- 1810 .............................. page Elizabeth Stauffer, Pennsylvania, 1843 ......................................................... page Isabel Stewart, America, possibly mid-western, 1848 ....................................... page Susan Tilton, Danville, Vermont, 1827 ......................................................... page Alice M. VanEpps, Truant Home, Brooklyn, circa 1870 ................ .... ................ page Harriet Wheeler, 1806, Worcester, Massachusetts .......................................... page Silk Embroidery by Louisa Whittemore, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, 1805 .................................................................. cover and page Harriet Willet, Boston, Massachusetts, 1818 ................................................ page
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
15 11 22 12 26 21 14 4 8 19 13 17 24 30 29 ¡ 6 16 3 2 31 23 22 5 28 24 8 20 27 1 26 13 25 7 10 18 9 16
AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
1 Hannah Silver, Salem, Massachusetts, 1801 Amongst the most sought-after of American samplers are examples that were produced in the towns of Salem and Danvers, Massachusetts during the 18th and very early 19th centuries that feature wide pictorial borders worked in long, lustrous crinkled silks of blue and green. We are privileged to offer this rare and important samp_ler inscribed "Hannah Silver is my name and with my needle I have wrought the same in the 11 year of my age Salem September 18, 1801." Samplers worked by two other girls, Betsey Daniels, in 1800 (refer to Girlhood Embroidery, vol I, Embroideries of Essex County, fig 122) and Elizabeth Briggs in 1806, are each in the collection of local Massachusetts institutions; it is clear that these samplers were worked under the instruction of the same highly talented teacher as taught Hannah Silver. These three pieces share identical flowing naturalistic crinkled silk borders, elongated pineapple-like designs in the bottom corners and fat baskets of flowers. The pair of backwards-looking birds on our Hannah Silver sampler is a very appealing addition to the design. Rather than a religious or cautionary verse Hannah chose to include genealogical information: a record of her birth and those of her siblings, the children of William and Jemima (Tewksbury) Silver, who were married on Aprill4, 1786. Hannah was born on June 18, 1791 and on October 13, 1814, married Elisha Gunnison, a merchant, also of Salem. Their three children, Elisha, Mary Jemima and Hannah, were born in Salem or Danvers between 1818 and 1822, and Hannah died in 1829. It is rare for a sampler of this caliber to come onto the market and we are pleased that, through our research, we are able to present this complete a picture of Hannah Silver of Salem.
Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a beveled curly maple frame with a black bead, using tru-vue conservation glass. Sampler size: 22W' x 21" Price upon request (detail) AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
2
Hannah Darrow McClannin, Liverpool, Nova Scotia, Canada, 1822 Documented Canadian samplers are relatively rare and we are pleased to offer this interesting rendering dated August 31, 1822, and worked by Hannah Darrow McClannin in Liverpool, a coastal town in Nova Scotia, southwest of Halifax. In 1985 the National Museums of Canada sponsored an exhibition of approximately 90 historic Nova Scotia samplers, and the catalogue, A Record of Time, stands as one of the very few publications documenting these samplers. Hannah Darrow McClannin inscribed on her sampler that she was "born April the 14 1811"; she began the further family information that "James Wickwire McClannan was born March the 14". Hannah referred most likely to a brother and it is fascinating to note that their surname was spelled two different ways on the same sampler, documenting the fact that the spelling of names, even by family members, was quite casual, subject to variation and often merely phonetic until much later into the 19th century. The Liverpool Township Book offers two pieces of information which, no doubt, pertain to Hannah's family: Hannah's mother, Hannah Darrow was born there on April 12, 1786, the daughter of Ichabod and Elizabeth (Lewin) Darrow, and this township book also describes the mark that the samplermaker's father, James McClannin, a sheep and cattle farmer, used on his livestock. The sampler has an appealing graphic quality formed by the closely worked inscription and the seemingly random combination of upper and lower case letters within words and sentences. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a molded maple frame. Sampler size: 15lfz' 1 x 10" Price: $2850.
M.Finkel
es Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
3 Hannah Maxwell, Philadelphia, 1827 In 1827, Philadelphia was the second largest city in the United States and had been known for the outstanding design and craftsmanship of its decorative arts for almost a century. Along with furniture, silver and ceramics, many outstanding pictorial schoolgirl samplers were produced in Philadelphia in the early 19th century under the tutelage of highly skilled and demanding teachers. Hannah Maxwell's work is an absolutely stellar example of this genre. A classmate of Hannah's, Sarah Elwell, worked a sampler in 1826 which is strikingly similar (in fact, practically identical) and provides an interesting comparison to Hannah's work. Both of the samplers feature a three-quarter view house situated between an apple tree and a willow upon a solidly-stitched lawn which is practically cluttered with strawberries, several sheep, and baskets of flowers. Each samplermaker each signed her work within a wreath of flowers and each sampler features a somewhat unusual pair of baskets set on the diagonal. The aphorism, "Innocence is sweet," appears in the same location on both of these pieces. Sarah's sampler is published in Samplers and Samplermaking, by Mary Jaene Edmonds (figure 57). Their teacher taught a variety of complex sampler stitches, notably the queens stitch, chain stitch, tent stitch and satin stitch. We are very pleased to have discovered this extremely appealing example which adds to the body of important needleworks known to have been produced in Philadelphia in the early decades of the 19th century. It is in excellent condition, worked in silk on linen, and has been conservation mounted into a cherry and painted corner block frame with tru-vue conservation glass. Sampler size: 20 1/z" x 17W' Price: $16,500. (detail)
AMERICA's LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel eJ Daughter.
4
Mary Jane Erwin, Pedricktown, Salem County N.J., 1834 In 1834 Mary Jane Erwin worked this ambitious and delightful sampler in "the 11 year of her age", which, of course actually means that she was ten years old. Mary Jane inscribed onto her sampler the date of her birth and those of her parents and her older sister, Anna Margaret. The family lived in Pedricktown, a small village in Upper Penns Neck Township, Salem County, southern New Jersey, as their ancestors had for many prior generations. Extensive family papers including copies of wills, inventories and other documents indicate that Mary Jane's mother, Kitturah (Springer) Erwin descended from early Swedish and German settlers to the area; she married Samuel Erwin, a Quaker, on December 27, 1821 and the announcement of their marriage in the local newspaper included a delightful poem. 1\vo years after the birth of Mary Jane, Samuel Erwin died and, according to his obituary he "left a wife and two children to lament the loss of a most affectionate husband and father and a large circle of acquaintances that of a kind neighbor and friend." Mary Jane, the samplermaker, married John W. Kay, a flour dealer from nearby Gloucester County on February 17, 1846 and the family ultimately moved to Philadelphia. The sampler is a large, colorful demonstration of many classic early 19th century sampler patterns and motifs. The open blossom border is a standout and the myriad depictions of flowers, birds and animals reflect the 19th century interest in cataloging nature. Many of the patterns exhibit the strong Quaker influence prevalent in this area of southern New Jersey and, indeed, in Mary Jane's family. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a maple frame. Sampler size: 21 W' x 19 W'
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
Price: $4250.
(detail)
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
5 Double-sided Needlework Drawstring Bag, England, early 17th century Seventeenth century English needlework is the subject of a spectacular exhibition currently at Colonial Williamsburg entitled "British Embroidery: Curious Works from the Seventeenth Century" (through September 7, 1999). The accompanying catalogue of the same name, by scholar and guest curator Kathleen Epstein, states that "it is difficult to overrate the possibilities to be discovered in so rich a group of visual works as English embroidery of the seventeenth century." Examples of early seventeenth-century English embroidery are exceedingly rare. We are privileged to be able to offer this fully needleworked drawstring bag which dates from the reign of King James I (1603-1625). It is a visually exciting piece with an opulence that demonstrates the extravagance of the English aristocracy of the early 17th century. Figures 42-45 in
British Embroidery: Curious Works from the Seventeenth Century illustrate examples of similar bags and the author states that these "bags were made for a variety of purposes: carriers for small devotional books and personal Bibles; gifts for friends , patrons, or royalty at New Year's; containers for seals; or fresheners filled with sweet powder to lay between stored garments."
The needlework was effected in silk and silver metal-wrapped silk thread onto a canvas ground and the interior of the bag is lined with green silk. The tassels are made fully of the metal-wrapped silk thread and are original to the bag.
Size: 4" high exclusive of tassels Price upon request.
AMERICA ' S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel es Daughter.
6
Eliza Kuhns, GreensBurgh, western Pennsylvania, 1814 Samplers made in the western region of Pennsylvania are far less common then those from the southeastern part of the state, and we were very pleased to have purchased Elizas Kuhns' sampler, dated July 1, 1814, worked in GreensBurgh, a small town 30 miles southeast of Pittsburgh, now known as "Greensburg". One of the main reasons for the scarcity of the samplers from this area is demographics: in 1810 Pittsburgh had a population of 4, 768, compared to Philadelphia at 88,877. Eliza's sampler is an exceptional piece combining a naive sensibility with a relatively sophisticated vocabulary of stitches, including whip, flat, cross, and satin stitches. The two oversized birds and the side borders display an unusual and appealing sense of spontaneity while the borders at the top and bottom were designed in a classic 18th century format. Our attempts to identify this samplermaker were rewarded with the following: Eliza Kuhns was born September 2, 1804 to Colonel John and Elizabeth and baptized December 2 of the same year at the First Lutheran Church of GreensBurgh. She married William H. King of the nearby town of North Huntington and died in 1852. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into an early 19th century walnut frame. Sampler size: 15" x 11 'N'
Price: $4800.
M.Finkel e;, Daughter.
AMERICA ' s LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
7
Susan Tilton, Danville, Vermont, 1827
Although samplers were worked by a truly large number of schoolgirls in New England from the late 18th through the early 19th century, it is widely known by scholars in the field that the Colony of, and later the State of, Vermont produced far fewer samplers than Maine, New Hampshire, Massachusetts, Connecticut or Rhode Island. Indeed Glee Krueger, in New England Samplers to 1840, documents only three Vermont schools that advertised samplermaking, as compared to the fifty-five from New Hampshire. A comprehensive exhibition at the Bennington Museum in 1997 entitled 11 The First Effort of My Infant Hand: Early Vermont Samplers 11 included only 22 Vermont examples, the majority from southern Vermont. The village of Danville is in Caledonia County in northeastern Vermont, and the birth of Susan Tilton on November 20, 1813 to Joseph and Sally Tilton was recorded in that town. A sampler worked in nearby St. Johnsbury in 1806 that was included in the Bennington Museum exhibition shares the overall format and some idiosyncratic details with our Tilton sampler indicating the likely influence of a long term teacher in that area. Susan's sampler includes a depiction of a stately five-bay house, along with a small out-building and two large trees worked with subtle shadings. Overall, this is a handsome, carefully worked sampler with the further recommendation that it is from upstate Vermont. Worked in silk on linen in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a beveled walnut frame with a maple bead using tru-vue glass. Sampler size: 13 114'' x 16W' Price: $7200. (detail)
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M.Finkel (:j Daughter.
8
Joan Finnie, Kilmarnock, Scotland, 1838 Scottish schoolgirl samplers frequently display a palette of red and green with accents of deep purple and this delightful band sampler worked by 11 Joan Finnie Aged 9 1838 11 is a classic example. Alphabets and decorative lines worked neatly in cross-stitch, button-hole and whip stitch as well as a stylized display of potted plants, birds and crowns demonstrate the skill of the nine-yearold needleworker. Interestingly, the first letter on the sampler, the upper case letter 11 N, appears in its archaic form, with the cross bar at the very top rather than across the center. This archaic form is more likely to appear on a sampler made a century earlier and indicates that this tradition continued for a great many years. Joan Finnie's birth on March 30, 1828, to William and Janet (Anderson) Finnie was recorded in Kilmarnock, the largest town in Ayrshire, a coastal farming county in southwestern Scotland. Her sampler was worked in wool on linen and has survived in excellent condition, in a later gold leaf and painted frame. Sampler size: 17 11 x 7W' Price: $1650.
Elizabeth Saunders, England, circa 1800 Needlework accomplished in early crewel wool retains its vibrant color as is demonstrated by this striking example worked by Elizabeth Saunders at age ten, circa 1800. The striped lawn with two dogs upon it, large brick house, raised windmill, potted plants, baskets, birds, deer, and many alphabets make good use of this strong color; the polychrome border provides and excellent visual framework. The sampler is in its original gilt frame and retains its framer's label with a royal seal on the backboard, stating that it was framed by 11 Thos. Agnew & Sons 43 Old Bond Street Piccadilly London and 14 Exchange Street Manchester. 11 Very good condition with a bit of loss and one very small area that may have had some stitches added. Sampler size: 15 114'' x 17W'
Price: $2850.
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Silk Embroidery by Louisa Whittemore, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, circa 1805 Late 18th and early 19th century silk embroideries were worked by schoolgirls who had progressed beyond samplermaking and their subject matter generally falls into the categories of mourning, allegorical, religious or literary illustration. The majority of silk embroideries too_k their inspiration from published engravings of the period. Louisa Whittemore's piece falls into none of these categories and does not derive from an engraving; it therefore evidences an unusual degree of individuality together with a thoroughly appearing aesthetic. It is a captivating and charming depiction, belonging to a more na¡ive genre, drawn freehand, no doubt, and then needleworked. A mother and her daughter, along with their small black dog, make their way downhill from a stately Federal mansion. Details abound including the patterned midnight blue empire dress, the covered woven basket, the bonnet of the young girl, which has flown backwards and is barely caught, and the mullions worked to form the many-paned windows of the building. The needleworker credited with working this silk embroidery is Louisa Whittemore, born February 22, 1792 in Cambridge, Massachusetts to Captain Josiah and Olive (Winship) Whittemore. Louisa married Peleg Bradley on June 26, 1807 in Dracut, a town at the New Hampshire border in eastern Massachusetts, and their daughter Louisa Bradley was born on November 30, 1819. Accompanying this fine silk embroidery by Louisa Whittemore is a second item, a large marking sampler inscribed "Wrought by Louisa W. Bradley Age 10 Years Dracut Sept 28th 1830." The two pieces descended in the family along with the information that they were worked by mother and daughter. The silk embroidery is in excellent condition, in a 19th century gold leaf frame with a later eglomise black and gold glass mat. Size of the oval needlework: 10 114'' x 81fz''
Price: $8800.
AMERICA ' s LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M.Finkel ~Daughter.
9
10
Alice M. Van Epps, Truant Home, Brooklyn, circa 1870 While most early samplers were worked by young ladies of some privilege attending private schools, by the middle of the 19th century it was not uncommon for public institutions to teach the same skills to the daughters of the middle class. We know of samplers worked in orphanages, church schools, schools founded by ladies associations to benefit the poor, and schools for the deaf and dumb (see our catalogue VIII page 26). This sampler, worked by Alice M. Van Epps, is a bit of a departure in that the 12-year-old probably would have been placed in this school because of prior transgressions; note the moralistic axiom quotation which was, no doubt, included for its implied lesson. The Truant Home was located in the Flatbush ward of Brooklyn and was listed in the 1870 Brooklyn directory, which identified Charles Demarest as the superintendent and head teacher. Alice Van Epps was most likely from one of the three families of that name listed in the Brooklyn 1870 census index. This sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition in a period walnut frame with a gilt liner. Sampler size: 16" x 11" Price: $2850.
M. Finkel es Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Pair of samplers by sisters Ann A. and Mary T. Chierdel, Philadelphia, 1817
We were exceedingly pleased to have purchased this delightful pair of samplers which, quite fortunately, have remained together since first created by these two sisters. They are the work of the daughters of a Philadelphia tailor, Paul Chierdel, who lived between 4th and 5th streets on Lombard Street (not six blocks from the location of our shop) with his wife, Ann. Clearly both young girls learned their samplermaking under the instruction of the same knowledgeable schoolmistress; their samplers share overall format and a traditional Philadelphia border (see the section of vol. II, Girlhood Embroidery by Betty Ring, entitled Philadelphia in the Federal Period). Each chose a particularly appealing verse and worked it with letter-perfect skill. Ann and Mary would seem to have been born in 1807 and 1809 respectively. Ann states on her sampler that she was 10 years 6 months old and Mary that she was 9 years old. According to the records of the German Lutheran Church, Ann died in January of 1820, just three years after she worked this sampler. Their father Paul Chierdel died in 1831, and in 1850 Mary was unmarried and living with their mother Ann. Their samplers are each in excellent condition, silk on linen, conservation mounted into fine early 19th century frames with original paint decoration. Sampler sizes: Ann A. Chierdel 81/4'' x 7W' Mary T. ChierdellO" x 10" Price for the pair: $5800.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
11
12 S. Coleman, A Map of England and Wales, 1804 English map samplers and silk embroideries "commonly date from the 1770s and continue on into the early decades of the nineteenth century. The combination of geography and embroidery became popular with teachers across Europe, their pupils producing maps ranging from their immediate neighbourhood to country, continent, or the world," according to Samplers, the Fitzwilliam Museum Handbook. S. Coleman, working in 1804, created a fully developed and highly detailed map sampler with delicate tentstitched colors outlining each of the countries and minute crossstitched letters indicating geographic areas. England is bordered on the south by "FR" "ANCE" and on the north by "PART OF SCOTLAND". A tightly worked satin-stitched wreath with classical lines encloses the title and date while the maker's name was worked at the bottom of the oval. The map is bordered by an outstanding naturalistic floral vine. It is in excellent condition with a few tiny areas of loss, silk on wool with a replaced glass mat and a fine 19th century figured maple frame.
Size of the oval: X 19 1/4''
22 3/4''
Price: $3850.
(detail)
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
13
E. H., Pennsylvania German, circa 1875 This miniature, solidly-stitched sampler is a charming and classic example of Pennsylvania German needlework from the second half of the 19th century: it is highly symmetrical with matching birds worked in the opposite corners and makes use of a handsome and richly colored palette. The center design, consisting of prancing horse tethered to a potted tree, is unusual and the initials of the needleworker 11 E H11 were worked in what is termed the 11 generic uppercase alphabet 11 by Charles and Tandy Hersh in Samplers of the Pennsylvania Germans (The Pennsylvania German Society, 1991). Worked in merino wool on to linen, it is in excellent condition with a few missing stitches, conservation mounted into a 19th century maple frame Sampler size: 711 x 711
Price: $875.
Elizabeth Stauffer, Pennsylvania, 1843 Elizabeth Stauffer worked this brightly colored and very pleasing mirror-image Pennsylvania German sampler in 1843, probably in Lancaster County. Her charming motifs include many flowerpots containing classic Pennsylvania German upright and pendulous carnations, tulips and other flowers with two richly detailed pairs of birds and two graphic geometric stars. The needleworker inscribed her name in typical 11 inline11 Pennsylvania German fashion after her first alphabet, and she worked her initials along the bottom of the sampler. The wool, silk and linen with which she worked contrast well with the unbleached tan linen; the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a cherry frame with an ebonized bead Sampler size: 16W' x 16W'
Price: $2850.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel e':j Daughter.
14
Mary Ennis, Massachusetts, 1825 This endearing sampler is imbued with a strong sense of whimsy, from the fashionably costumed couple sharing a garland of flowers across the top, to the folky scene of a house with flowering trees and a bird across the bottom. Along with three alphabets and one numerical progression appears the inscription 11 Mary Ennis her Samplar made In The 11th year of Her Age 1825 11 and the first lines of a typical sampler verse. But it is the rendering of a gentleman in his top hat and tails holding a bouquet of flowers and gesturing towards a lady dressed in a ruffled empire gown, done with considerable skill, that makes this sampler most unusual. It is likely that this sampler was worked in the Marblehead, Massachusetts area where needleworked depictions of this type have appeared on other samplers worked in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Many families with the surname Ennis and Innis are found in the records of the town of Marblehead, further confirming the likelihood of the origin of this sampler. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a black painted and molded frame. Sampler size: 16IN' x 8114'' Price: $4200.
(detail)
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Hannah Carter, Dover, New Hampshire, 1805
(detail)
An article in the August 1997 issue of "The Magazine Antiques" entitled SChoolgirl Samplers of Dover New Hampshire by Rita F. Conant documents an outstanding group of samplers from the coastal town of Dover in southern New Hampshire. The schoolmistress responsible for teaching these young needleworkers was Sophia Cushing Hayes Wyatt, an obviously knowledgeable and talented teacher. Betty Ring, writing about these samplers in Girlhood Embroidery, vol.l indicates that "At the turn of the new century, a stunning group of samplers was worked in Dover by local girls as well as several who lived just north of the Piscataqua River."
Our sampler is inscribed 'Hannah Carter born January 28 in 1793 Aged 12 years" and, while less elaborate than some others of this group, includes the exquisitely worked flower and vine border, together with a script alphabet, which identify this group. Several of the horizontal bands, which separate rows of alphabets, can also be found on the other documented Dover samplers. Schoolmistress Sophia Wyatt, in her Autobiography of a Landlady of the Old School (Boston 1854), which is partially excerpted by Mrs.Conant in her article, writes that the young ladies who attended her school "were selected from fine families, and were ambitious each one to obtain useful knowledge .... Many of those young ladies are now wives of eminent gentlemen, placed in affluent circumstances, kind, affectionate mothers and a great acquisition to society."
Hannah Carter's birthdate is recorded in the town of Dover, and on May 1, 1814 Hannah married Stephen Varney, a young man from one of the most prominent families of Dover. Their six children were born in the town between 1814 and 1829. Hannah's sampler, worked in silk on linen, is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a cherry and maple corner block frame. Sampler size: 163/4 11 X 15lfz'' Price:$3850.
AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M.Finkel eJ Daughter.
15
16
Hannah Marean, Hubbardston, Worcester County, Massachusetts, circa 1798 This small praiseworthy sampler was worked by Hannah Marean, the seventh of the eight children of William Marean, a revolutionary war soldier, and his wife Sybil Parker of Hubbardston, a small town 20 miles northwest of Worcester, Massachusetts. On her sampler, Hannah states that she "was born November 3, 1785," and it is likely that she would have completed this sampler between the ages of 10 and 14. She married David Bennett, also of Hubbardston, on July 1, 1807, and died in 1872 in the same town. The small scene along the bottom of this sampler depicts several birds and animals centered around a stylized pair of large carnation blossoms. The polychrome basket at right, worked in the button hole stitch, completes this charming rendering and attests to Hannah 1s skill. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a walnut frame with a gilt liner. Sampler size: 9W 1 x 8"
Price: $1850.
Harriet Willet, Boston, Massachusetts, 1819 This neatly worked marking sampler dated Feb 23, 1819 well represents the early accomplishments of this samplermaker, Harriet Willet. The Willet family came to America about 1630 and prospered in and around Boston for many generations; this sampler descended along with a larger more elaborate sampler inscribed "Harriet Willet Boston 1821". Our marking sampler, worked in a combination of ochre and teal, demon¡ strates that the samplermaker was adept at some relatively sophisticated stitches, including the double cross-stitch, tent and satin stitches. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition with a few stitches missing, conservation mounted into a 19th century gold leaf frame. Sampler size: 10" x 8" Price: $1350.
M. Finkel e9 Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Anna Mary Herr, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1832 "A wonderfully appealing and cohesive group of samplers was produced in Lancaster, York, and Dauphin counties between 1797 and 1838. Today, they are generally known as samplers of the Susquehanna Valley," according to Betty Ring in Girlhood Embroidery, vol. II, page 410. Many of these samplers are characterized by their deep, compartmentalized, pictorial borders, large houses along the bottom and lengthy inscriptions regarding the samplermaker's birth as well as religious verse. Anna Mary Herr's sampler of 1832 is a praiseworthy example of this group featuring many of the specific designs included in the numerous Susquehanna Valley samplers illustrated by Betty Ring, specifically the prominent clover formations and stylized hearts in the upper corners, and potted trees flanking the house. Anna Mary Herr descended from the Reverend Hans Herr born in 1639 and The Genealogical Record of Reverend Hans Herr and His Direct Lineal Descendants (Lancaster Mennonite Historical Society, 1994) traces this lineage to Anna Mary's parents, Emanuel and Mary (Rohrer) Herr, from the town of Millersville, 4 (detail) miles southwest of the city of Lancaster. The samplermaker was born on October 7, 1812 and married Jacob Shenck; they were the parents of two children, Christian and Elizabeth. Anna Mary Herr Shenck died on April 8, 1888. Her sampler descended in the family and had been previously unknown to scholars in the field; it is a very appealing new addition to this fascinating and well-documented group. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a maple and cherry comer block frame. Sampler size: 163/4'' X 15" Price: $12,000.
AMERICA's LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
17
18
Harriet Wheeler, 1806, Worcester, Massachusetts On January 30, 1797, Harriet Wheeler was born, the fifth child of Theophilus and Elizabeth (Lynde) Wheeler of the town Worcester. Theophilus (17641840) was the Register of Probate of Worcester County for 43 years and served as the town clerk, town treasurer and overseer of schools for the town of Worcester for many years. Harriet completed this extremely charming sampler onto which she inscribed "Harriet Wheeler Aged 9 yrs And 7 Months Worcester August 27th 1806". The needlework includes a delightful scene depicting a house on a chainstitched lawn and three blackbirds flying towards a tree worked in french knots. The neatly worked alphabets appear above the inscription and it is all surrounded by an unusual border rendered in drawn work. Harriet Wheeler died on Aprill2, 1818, at the age 21, and her sampler remains as a document of her education and skill in the needle arts. It is in overall excellent condition with one very minor area of loss, silk on linen, conservation mounted into a cherry frame with a black bead. Sampler size: 16" x lOW' Price: $3650. (detail)
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Eliza Paul Gray, Lawrenceburgh, Kentucky, 1819 Documented schoolgirl samplers worked in the state of Kentucky are extraordinarily rare and this is the only example to come onto the market in recent years. Very few sampler resource books contain even limited reference to Kentucky samplers. American Samplers by Bolton and Coe, a study of samplers undertaken in 1921, notes only two Kentucky schoolteachers instructing students in samplermaking as compared to the many dozens of teachers documented from the mid-Atlantic and Northeastern states. The town of Lawrenceburgh, with a population, in 1830, of 320, is located southwest of Louisville, and is the county seat of Anderson County. The sampler descended in the family living first in Lawrenceburgh and then in Carrollton, Kentucky, and came to us with a great deal of family information and a full line of descent. Eliza's sampler passed to her grandson, Capt. George Washington Anderson who was active in the real estate, auction and hotel businesses. While early Kentucky birth records do not exist, it is our hope that research, which is being conducted currently, will provide more documentation regarding Eliza Paul Gray. The sampler demonstrates an impressive aptitude for needlework on the part of the maker and, no doubt, her teacher. The three large Queenstitch motifs were very difficult to accomplish and would not have been undertaken lightly. All of the other pictorial elements, as well as the neatly ordered alphabet and inscription, corroborate the samplermaker's proficiency. It is a pleasure to offer
this exceptional example. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a beveled cherry frame with a black bead. Sampler size: 16'h" x 11 '14''
AMERICA ' s
Price: $9000.
LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M.Finkel ~Daughter.
19
20
The genealogical sampler served a purpose not unlike the family bible; it recorded and preserved information regarding the cohesive family unit, which had taken on a heightened importance in the early years of the new Republic. The DA.R. Museum in Washington D.C. exhibited these samplers in a comprehensive show entitled The Family Record in 1989 and their catalogue of the same name remains a valuable resource.
Caroline B. Shelly Family Record, New York State, 1830 This large sampler with alphabets above and a verse below makes use of a chart to document the family of Daniel and Zilpah (Britton) Shelly of Oneida and Genesee counties in New York State. The sampler is signed "Caroline B Shellys sampler wrought in the twelfth ye." It clear that, had she not run out of space, the inscription would have continued and indicated that she worked the sampler in her 12th year in 1830. Caroline also did not finish the name of her youngest brother, which our research revealed to be Adoniram Judson Shelly. The thread remains trailing from the middle of his name. The deaths of two siblings, in 1835 and 1844, were added later and the workmanship is not quite as neat; perhaps it was not the same needleworker. The Shelly family lived in the towns of Genesee, Whitestown, and Oneida Castle. Caroline married Harvey Johnson of Oneida Castle on October 7, 1847 and they had 3 children. She died on December 30, 1899. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a 19th century gold frame.
Sampler size: 23W 1 x 17W 1 Price: $2650.
M.Finkel f:j Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Elizabeth Eldridge, Beverly, Massachusetts, 1837 This handsome family record sampler presents a plethora of genealogical information, which shares space with a four-line verse. Mary Jaene Edmonds in Samplers and Samplennaking states that this particular poem 11 is the single most popular poem to be found in American sampler embroidery 11 and indeed, we concur based on our many years of observation in the field.
The Eldridge family lived in the coastal town of Beverly, first settled in 1630 and located north of Salem. ¡ The sampler records the births and marriage of West Dagett Eldridge and Anna Thissel followed by the births of their nine children. Elizabeth was born October 9, 1826 and worked this sampler when she was 12 years old, in July of 1837. Research indicates that on December 19th, 1846, Elizabeth married Henry S. Tappan, a cabinetmaker also from the town of Beverly, and their son Benjamin West Tappan was born in 1848. This is a particularly densely worked and well-balanced piece; the geometric inner border, which surrounds the verse, contributes to its aesthetic. By contrast, the two wind-blown trees inject a note of whimsy and may have been stitched without plan or supervision. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a 19th century cross-banded walnut veneer frame. Sampler size: 16W 1 x 1711
Price: $2850.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel eJ Daughter.
21
22
Sarah E. Perkins, Salem, Massachusetts, 1833 A nine-year-old young lady from the town of Salem worked this crisply-defined marking sampler with alphabets and a quotation from the Old Testament (note the misspelling of the word "seventh" at the end of the quotation). Research indicates that Sarah Elizabeth Perkins was born on April21, 1824 to Sarah (Millet) Perkins and her husband, Jeremiah Stanford Perkins, a tailor who served on the City Council, and was both a representative in the State Legislature and a commander of a Light Infantry Brigade. On December 30,1847 Sarah married William Cheever, Jr. Her sampler, worked entirely in blue silk, would have been an early effort; it is likely that the fruits of her further education would have included more elaborate samplers and perhaps silk embroideries, as would have been expected of the daughter of a prominent citizen of Salem. This sampler is worked in silk on linen, is in excellent condition with one tiny area of weakness to the linen and has been conservation mounted into a fine period maple frame with a cherry bead. Sampler size:12lfz'' x lllfz''
Price: $1750.
Martha Ann Chesnut, Philadelphia, circa 1810 We are quite taken with this charming little sampler, painstakingly worked by Martha Ann Chesnut in, or quite close to, Philadelphia in the early years of the 19th century. She employed quite a few different intricate stitches, including Irish, cross, eyelet and queens stitch; the fat strawberries were flawlessly rendered in the queenstitch, while the roses, carnations and bird were tightly worked in the cross stitch. The family name, Chesnut, appears repeatedly in the early Philadelphia census indices and we continue to conduct research to identify Martha Ann Chesnut. Interestingly, one of Philadelphia's original east/west streets, Chestnut Street, was, for many years in the 18th and 19th centuries, spelled without the 't' in the middle, the same as the family name of the samplermaker. Worked in linen and silk on linen, it is in excellent condition, with a few areas of weakness to the background linen, conservation mounted into cherry frame with ebonized bead. Sampler size: 12" x 12 1/z"
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
Price: $2400.
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
23 Catharine Miller, 1834, Philadelphia Catharine Miller's sampler, completed in her 8th year in 1824, indicates that the samplermaker attended one of the many fashionable schools that existed in Philadelphia in the first decades of the 19th century. The samplermaker must have had a high degree of aptitude in this field as her sampler indicates an unusual proficiency at such a young age. Within the body of schoolgirl samplers worked in Philadelphia in this time period, there existed a tradition which includes the specific designs that appear on this sampler: a large brick two-chimney house flanked by pine trees and a picket fence that sits upon a lawn with pairs of baskets, a verse and a garland of flowers floating above. A rhythmic vine and flower border surrounds the entire scene. Catharine's sampler distinguishes itself by its unusually pleasing verse and the fact that her wonderfully substantial house is depicted with its window's shuttered closed. Overall, this is an extremely pleasing sampler visually, and it has the added advantage that the young samplermaker prominently inscribed the name of her town. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a cherry and walnut corner block frame with tru-vue conservation glass. Sampler size: 18" x 19 114''
Price: $7200.
AMERICA's LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
24
F. S., Amish, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1888 Needlework samplers are one of the very few wall decorations allowed in the homes of the 11 plain people 11, the Amish sect of Pennsylvania Germans. Two books which document the history of their samplermaking, as well as other arts, are Amish Arts of Lancaster County by Patricia Herr (Schiffer, 1998) and Decorative Arts of the Amish of Lancaster County by Daniel and Kathryn McCauley (Good Books, 1988). The Amish sustained this form of needlework for an extended period of time and samplers worked well into the 20th century are published in these books. Our example typifies this work, balancing colorful, whimsical images against simple black alphabets. It descended in the Amish community through the Stoltfuz family, hence the initials 11 F. S. 11 • Worked in merino wool on linen, it is excellent condition, conservation mounted into a period walnut frame with a gilt liner. Sampler size: 15W' x 11 W'
Price: $1850.
L.S.H., The Netherlands, 1862 Eighteenth and nineteenth century Dutch schoolgirls seem to have produced proportionately more samplers than any other European country with the exception of the British Isles. Dutch samplermaking, utilizing traditional patterns indigenous to this country, continued well into the 19th century without relaxation of standards. This excellent example was worked in 1862 by a fourteen-year-old who inscribed each of her initials inside of a floral wreath. The center design is that of the 11 Spies of Canaan 11 , Joshua and Caleb, sharing the weight of a large bunch of grapes, and below that a handsome rendering of a stepped-roof Dutch house set upon a checkered blue tile foundation. The patterning on the house is derived from a variation of the cross-stitch, which allows the background linen to be seen between the stitches. It is a bright and beautifully worked sampler in the classic tradition of Dutch samplermaking. Merino wool on linen, excellent condition, conservation mounted into a mid 19th century mahogany frame. Sampler size: 22 11 x 24W' Price: $2200.
M. Finkel
es Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
25 Isabel Stewart, America, possibly mid-western, 1848 This is one of the most robust samplers we have ever encountered and it is likely that Isabel Stewart 1s rendering was worked in the mid-western United States; it was purchased at a farm sale in Kansas many years ago and had remained in a mid-western collection until quite recently. The maker was 14 years old in 1848 and included that information on her sampler, as well as three sets of initials, 1WS 11 11 EAS 11 11 IS 11 , which are most likely those of family members. The pictorial elements, including the highly developed houses, patterned two-handled vase of flowers, stars and peacock, demand one 1s attention and the border of oversized strawberries on a vine provides a compatible framework. It is a very graphic and painterly sampler. Worked in merino wool on linen, it is in very good condition with a few small areas of loss to the linen, now conservation mounted into a molded cherry frame. Sampler size: 17 114'1 x 171/z' 1
Price: $5400.
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel eJ Daughter.
26
Mary Davies, England, 1845 This is a fine example of 19th century samplermaking; Mary Davies worked her alphabets and a numerical progression along with the words "JOY", "PEACE" and the phrase "Search the scriptures". The monochromatic palette, lines which separate the lettering and the pair of crowns all are indications of the English origin of the sampler. It was worked in silk on
linen, is in excellent condition and is in a painted and gold leaf 19th century frame. Sampler size: 10 114' 1 x ll!fz' 1 Price: $825.
Mary S. Smith miniature, Pennsylvania, circa 1800 - 1810 Miniature samplers such as this one were frequently worked as gifts or momentos of friendship from one schoolgirl to another. MaryS. Smith performed an extremely delicate example in tent and cross-stitched Quaker motifs with hearts, birds, baskets and a lily-of-the-valley. The gauze-like linen on which Mary worked was called "tiffany"; it has been theorized that as this fabric gained in popularity in the very early 19th century to create the diaphanous dresses that were in fashion for young women, it also became popular as the ground fabric for their high-style embroidery. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a 19th century gold leaf frame.
Sampler size: 3!fz'1 x 3W' Price: $1450.
M. Finkel
es Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Catharina Shutt, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania, 1842 Samplers worked in southeastern Pennsylvania by schoolgirls of Pennsylvania German descent share many of the distinctive highly stylized motifs found on this particularly well made example. Catharina Shutt 1s sampler of 1842 features the crisply designed potted flowers and multi-colored block format letters which distinguish this group. The same curvilinear side borders with regular buds and leaves appear on the other Pennsylvania German samplers as well. Interestingly, a few classic Quaker motifs appear on this sampler in the form of the small spray of three blue carnations at lower left and the pair of green birds facing each other at center, attesting to the pervasive influence of the English/Quaker culture in the area where this sampler was worked, just west of Philadelphia. The Shutt family, belonging to the Schwenkfelder sect of the Pennsylvania Germans, was amongst the first settlers in Lower Salford Township, specifically settling the village of Shutt1S Mill. Catharina was born in 1828 to Jacob and Mary Shutt. She worked her sampler in 1842 at the age of 14 and on December 7, 1851, married Henry Huebner, a farmer, in Norriton Township. Their children, Mary, Martha, Catharina, and J. Wayne were born between 1857 and 1865 in the same area. Catharina worked her sampler in silk on very tightly woven linen and it is in very good overall condition with slight toning and a few minor areas of loss. It has been conservation mounted into its splendid original cherry and maple half spindle frame with rosette corner blocks. Sampler size: 233f4' 1 x 17W 1
Price: $4200.
AMERICA's LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
27
28
Sarah Rex, Germantown, Pennsylvania, 1823 Sa~ah
Rex, along with her twin brother William, was born on October 22, 1811 to Heinrich and Susanna (Schlong) Rex, and in 1812 was baptized at St. Michael 1s Church in Germantown. This historic town was settled by the Pennsylvania Germans in 1683 and incorporated into Philadelphia in 1845. Sarah 1s ancestors include members of the Rittenhouse family and, extending back for four generations, were wealthy blacksmiths and prominent citizens of Germantown. The sampler descended in the family until quite recently. Sarah worked this sampler in 1823, at the age of 12 and it demonstrates a charming na'ivete. The chainstitched willow trees, various clover and rose trees, along with the initials of her parents, grow out of the satin-stitched lawn, Sarah worked the 11 S11 of her name backwards and apparently her teacher did not require her to take out the stitches and rework the letter. This slightly more lax attitude on behalf of the teacher serves to lend a note of individuality to Sarah Rex 1s sampler. Worked in silk on linen, it is in very good overall condition with some loss to the lawn, conservation mounted into a molded walnut frame. Sampler size: 15W1 x 18 11
M. Finkel
Price: $2850.
es Daughter.
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
29
Mary H. Husted, Rushville, Fairfield County, Ohio, 1836 Ohio samplers are quite rare and were the subject of a 1988 exhibition at the Warren County Historical Society Museum, entitled "Ohio Samplers: Schoolgirl Embroideries 1803 -1850". The accompanying book of the same title, by Sue Studebaker, documents 56 Ohio samplers and serves as an invaluable resource. Mrs. Studebaker's research of this subject is ongoing and the list of documented Ohio samplers continues to grow. Notwithstanding this fact, there are currently only four examples, including this piece, which have been documented by Mrs. Studbaker as having been worked in Fairfield County. Our sampler is inscribed, "Mary H. Husted Rushville 1836"; Rushville is a small town south of Columbus in the middle of the state, with a population, in 1830, of 234.
Mary's sampler includes alphabets, her initials and a handsome depiction of a five-bay, low-hipped house with two chimneys. Her sampler resembles the very many samplers produced by schoolgirls along the Northeastern coast and indeed, it is likely that her teacher had learned her own needleworking skills back in the East. Worked in silk on linen, it is in very good condition, with one horizontal area of loss to the linen and a bit of loss to the silk. Conservation mounted into a cherry and black painted corner block frame with tru-vue glass. Sampler size: 17'' x 16" Price: $3850. AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel
es Daughter.
30 Ann Bentley, England, 1798 This English spot motif sampler is inscribed, "ANN BENTLEY WORK I TTHIS SAMPLER IN TH IE 9 YEAR OF HER AGE I IN THE YEAR 1798" and also features the alphabet, vowels and two rows of pairs of letters, many of which appear to be initials. The sampler is signed within a narrow framework upon which two swallowtail birds perch. It is a wonderful example by a very young girl, who most likely went on to more elaborate needleworks. Worked in silk on unbleached linen, it is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a later maple frame with a gilt liner. Sampler size: 12" x 10" Price: $1200.
Sarah Hipkin, England, June ye 6 day, 1766 The refined delicacy of this tightly worked English sampler makes it very desirable. Worked in cross and eyelet stitch, it is inscribed, "Sarah Hipkin June ye 6 1766" and includes the following verse: "Love thou the Lord and he will bee A tender Father unto thee. God Prosper those who gave me this And Crown them with an Heavenly Bliss" Lions, miniature dogs, oversized butterflies, tulips, carnation and classic band patterns decorate this sampler, all designed in a typically symmetrical format and worked with great precision. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition, conservation mounted into a 19th century gilt frame. Sampler size: 121fz'' x 8" Price: $2650.
M.Finkel ~Daughter.
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Maria Antoni __ltrar, Mexican convent sampler, 1838 In 1993, The Textile Museum in Washington D.C. mounted an exhibition entitled "Mexican Samplers: Patterns of Continuity and Change" which included samplers dating from 1784 through the second half of the 19th century. In an article in The Textile Museum Bulletin which accompanied the exhibition, needlework scholar and guest curator Ms. Kathleen Epstein wrote that these samplers expressed "the transformation of indigenous, European and Oriental designs and stitch techniques into an embroidery tradition that is uniquely Mexican." Many of the samplers exhibited depict patterns of very similar elaborate horizontal blocks of stitches and design as our extremely fine Mexican sampler, which we offer herewith.
Ms. Epstein further states in her article that these "designs and embroidery techniques were brought to New Spain in a variety of ways. But probably the most important vehicles for the transmission of sampler designs and stitches were the various schools set up throughout New Spain by pious women and nuns." Our sampler, worked by Maria Antoni __ltrar in 1838, was most certainly worked in one of these convent schools. It exhibits influence of the different cultures that one might hope to find on a Mexican sampler, including that of Oriental design. According to Kathleen Epstein, Oriental motifs would have been embroidered onto Chinese silks which would have traveled the early trade route to Mexico via the then Spanish port of Manila. The sampler has been examined and authenticated by Ms. Kathleen Epstein. Stitches on our sampler include cross, satin, flat, Spanish (double running) and Irish stitches, with a small rectangle of beadwork. It is in excellent condition with slight loss to some of the inscription, which renders it impossible to fully decipher the last name of the samplermaker. Silk on linen, conservation mounted into a 19th century gold leaf frame. Sampler size: 9 W' x 13 114''Price1
'? l<Jo ¡
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel~ Daughter.
31
Conservation Mounting Of Antique Samplers and Needlework Because of the important role that condition plays in the field of antique samplers and needlework, we strive to insure that these pieces undergo proper preservation while in our care. Below is a step-bystep description of the "conservation mounting" process. Our techniques are simple and straightforward; we remove the dust and dirt particles mechanically, never wet-cleaning the textiles. We use only acid-free materials and museum-approved techniques throughout the process. Please call us if you have any questions in this regard. 0
Carefully clean the piece using our special vacuum process.
0
Mount it by means of hand-sewing onto acid-free museum board that has been slip-cased with fabric appropriate to the piece itself, and at the same time stabilize any holes or weak areas.
0
Refit the item back into its original frame, or custom-make a reproduction of an 18th or early 19th century frame using one of our exclusive patterns.
0
Supply a reverse painted black glass mat, if appropriate, done in correct antique manner.
0
When necessary, install trueVueÂŽConservation Clear glass which blocks 97% of the harmful Ultra-violet light.
0
In the framing process, the needlework is properly spaced away from the glass, the wooden frame is sealed, and the dust cover is attached with special archival tape.
M.Finkel ~Daughter.
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
SELECTED NEEDLEWORK BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Gloria Seaman. Family Record Genealogical Watercolors and Needlework. Washington, DC: DAR Museum, 1989. Bolton, Ethel Stanwood and Coe, Eve Johnston. American Samplers. Boston: The Massachusetts Society of the Colonial Dames of America, 1921. Brooke, Xanthe. Catalogue of Embroideries. The Lady Lever Art Gallery. Alan Sutton Publishing Inc., 1992 Edmonds, Mary Jaene. Samplers and Samplermakers, An American Schoolgirl Art 1700-1850. New York: Rizzoli, 1991. Epstein, Kathy. An Anonymous Woman Her Work Wrought In The 17th Century. Curious Work Press, 1992. British Embroidery: Curious Works from the Seventeenth Century. Colonial Williamsburg and Curious Works Press, 1998. Herr, Patricia T. The Ornamental Branches, Needlework and Art from the Lititz .Moravian Girls' School Between 1800 and 1865. The Heritage Center Museum of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania, 1996. Hersh, Tandy and Charles. Samplers of the Pennsylvania Germans. Birdsboro, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1991 Humphrey, Carol. Samplers, Fitzwilliam .Museum Handbooks. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1997. lvey, Kimberly Smith. In the Neatest .Manner: The .Making of the Virginia Sampler Tradition. Colonial Williamsburg and Curious Works Press, 1997 Krueger, Glee F A Gallery of American Samplers: The Theodore H Kapnek Collection. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978. New England Samplers to 1840 Sturbridge, Mass.: Old Sturbridge Village, 1978. Ring, Betty. American Needlework Treasures. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1987. Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework, 1650-1850. Knopf, 1993. Let Virtue be a Guide to Thee: Needlework in the Education of Rhode Island Women, 1730-1820. Providence: The Rhode Island Historical Society, 1983. Schiffer, Margaret B. Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania. New York. Charles Scribner's Sons, 1968. Schorsch, Anita . .Mourning Becomes America: .Mourning Art in the New Nation. Clinton, New Jersey: The Main Street Press, 1976. Studebaker, Sue. Ohio Samplers, School Girl Embroideries 1803-1850. Warren County Historical Society, 1988. Swan, Susan B. A Winterthur Guide to American Needlework. New York: Crown Publishers, 1976. Plain and Fancy: American Women and Their Needlework, 1700-1850, New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1977. AMERICA ' S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
M. Finkel
es Daughter.