Antique Samplers

ANN BRAZIER 1804An English pictorial sampler worked with silk on linen featuring a large depiction of pink Adam and Eve alongside the tree of life with a freehand stem stitched serpent.  They stand on a green lawn with sheep, a rabbit, dogs, and a bird.  The four-sided floral border has satin stitched rosebuds at each…

A very fine English sampler finished “August the 21, 1730”The sampler begins with two lines of alphabets, numerals, the date, and attribution followed by another alphanumeric line. There are five more lines executed in cross, herringbone, and eyelet stitches, followed by two lines of alphabets executed in eyelet stitches. The verses are:Love and a crown…

Created in 1712 with bold primary colors suggestive of Scottish embroideries, in silk and wool threads on a linen ground, using cross, eyelet, rice, queen, herringbone and double running stitches.

SARAH CARNABEY 1766 This is an exquisitely stitched English sampler worked with brightly colored silk threads on fine linen in a variety of stitches, including cross, eyelet, petit point, and back/double running.  A four-sided floral border surrounds two rows of cross-stitched alphabets and one row of eyelet-stitched numerals.  The verse is: O may I always…

“MS” dated 1752 An early Scottish band sampler featuring many classic 17th pattern bands, executed in a variety of stitches including cross, eyelet, petit point, double running, counted satin, back, and queen, in fine wool and silk threads on linen.  Below the illuminated alphabet there is a gentleman standing above the lower lines which are…

MARY CHESHIRE 1842 An unusual English sampler with a four-sided bargello border.  A little girl is riding a donkey and follows her spaniel. On the right, there is a tree with a large rooster on top of it and a hunter below.  Two large butterflies hover in the sky. The rosewood veneer frame is probably…

HANNAH HEATH VANDEWATER 1832 A New England sampler This is an American band sampler executed in cross and eyelet stitches with silk thread on homespun linen, consisting of alphabets and numerals, two houses with three trees between them, and below that a wider section with five more stylized trees, above the inscription.  She was eleven…

H. SECKEL, circa 1830 Possibly Continental, with a four-sided floral border centering an octagonal cartouche with a weeping willow tree at its center.  It could be a memorial sampler.  Stitches used are cross, four-sided, and freehand stem.  There is some fading, staining, and a few small holes around the edges. Otherwise, it has very good…

ISOBELLA WILKIE 1799 This is a wonderful, classic Scottish “mansion house” sampler, beginning with a wide arcaded band of stylized pansies across the followed by a verse: In thy fair book of life divine My god inscribe my name There let it fill some humble place beneath the slaughtered lamb A mansion house is fronted…

SARAH ATKIN 1822 Aged nine years, 25 March 1822, Stapleford A wonderful English sampler in possibly original magnificent figured maple veneered frame, with large stylized lions at the top, above three verses, all within a four-sided floral border. Excellent condition apart from slight fading, executed mostly in cross stitch with some straight stitches as embellishments…

MARTHA WHITWORTH 1819 An English sampler with a four-sided artichoke-like border with a verse, flanked by outsized stylized flowers and leaves. The verse is:Be Christ my pattern and my guideThis image may I bearO may I tread his sacred stepsAnd his bright glories share Below the date, she has stitched a woman in a trailing…

MARY FORD 1802 English sampler depicting flying cherubs, a stag, dogs, a cow, and sheep, stitched with silk on linen in three tiers.  The first tier includes two lines of alphabet and numerals above her name, followed by “Born October 20 1788”.  A sun’s face peers out from beneath a bank of cheerful clouds, beside…