Antique Samplers

An Irish sampler, made by the mother, and including three samplers made by Dorothy Walpole’s daughters, two by Mary Williams dated 1804 and 1805, and one by Elizabeth Williams, dated 1804. It is rare to find family groups of samplers particularly those which span more than one generation. This rare group of four Irish samplers…

An late 18th/early 19th century Scottish sampler Stitched with silks on loosely woven linen, this classic Scottish sampler features eight lines of alphabets including one with elaborately illuminated letters, surrounded by a four sided honeysuckle border. Stitches used are cross and double running. Nice condition, with some fading and a few small stains. 19-1/2″ x…

A Scottish Sampler The sampler is worked in fine silk on a linen ground, in cross stitch in bright colors including pink, mauve, blue, gold, copper, and dark green. The verse reads: WHILE THUS MY FINGERS OER THE SAMPLER ROVE/THE LETTERS FORM OR TEACH THE FLOWERS TO BLOW/OH MAY MY SOUL ASPIRE TO WORLDS ABOVEAND…

A four sided floral border surrounds twelve lines of alphabets and numerals over three large flowering plants flanked by birds. Stitched with wool on linen in shades of red, green, tan, rust and brown, entirely in cross stitch. The sampler alone measures 11″ x 15-1/2″, with the matting and frame the outside dimensions are 15-1/2″…

Born in 1841, Hannah Turner made this sampler at the unusually grand age of eighteen years. It features a grandiose version of Solomon’s Temple surrounded by flying angels, birds perched in trees, pots of flowers, stags, dogs, and two human figures, with a four sided floral border. It is stitched in cross stitch, wool on…

This English sampler is in excellent condition, virtually unfaded in rich shades of blue, red, green, gold, cream and black silks on a finely woven tammy ground. A gold satin stitched sawtooth border surrounds all four sides, and inside that is a four sided meandering floral border, with a third inner sawtooth border surrounding three…

This English sampler features a fine country house identified as Wilton House in Wiltshire, near Salisbury, the county seat of the Earls of Pembroke for over four hundred years. Many people may recognize it from scenes filmed there such as “The Madness of King George” (1994), “Pride and Prejudice” (2005), “The Young Victoria” (2009), and…

An English sampler with very good color, a few holes (they don’t affect the design), stitched in cross, satin and petit point on tammy cloth, measuring 12-1/4″ x 12-1/2″ (sampler alone, not including frame). This beautiful little sampler features some interesting floral motifs, and a stepped plateau in the lower reserve flanked by stags. The…

A rare and unusual oval sampler in excellent condition, featuring Adam and Eve beside the tree of life with a black serpent. At the top is the crucified Christ executed in stem stitch . The verses are: Behold the Saviour of mankindNailed to the shameful treeHow vast the love that him inclindTo bleed and die…

English tent stitch picture of a shepherd and shepherdess in a pastoral landscape, probably early 19th century. The subjects are surrounded by their sheep in a pasture with a rabbit, flanked by fruit and oak trees, with a sun shining above. The picture has been stitched with silk and wool, in possibly its original rosewood…

Norfolk (England) samplers are a unique species, characterized by either a stepped lozenge cartouche as in this example, an elaborate floral border (usually embroidered freehand but not in Eliza Tagg’s sampler), and a horizontal row of joined octagons filled with various floral or animal motifs. A nearly identical Norfolk sampler was made by Eliza Dearn…

This is an exquisitely stitched classic Scottish sampler featuring illuminated letters, an arcaded floral band, traditional motifs including peacocks, birds drinking at the Fountain of Life, feather trees and family initials. A four sided berry border surrounds six rows of alphabets done in a variety of stitches, followed by the floral band. The lower third…