Antique Samplers

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…

This sampler has been stitched on very fine tiffany type linen using cross, double running, satin, and petit point stitches in still vibrant shades of olive green, gold, navy blue, rose, brown, and medium blue. It depicts a small “mansion” house flanked by pots of flowers, stags, and a wee lion beneath the house, all…

March the 2 1799 Very finely stitched English sampler with a four sided strawberry border surrounding a central reserve with a verse and a depiction of Adam and Eve under the Tree of Life with a black serpent. Above the verse are five flying cherubs and golden stars. ON AN ACTIVE LIFEHappy is he the…

This English sampler is closely related to others, some in the collection of The Scarlet Letter, and surely was the product of a skilled and inspired teacher. Similarities between these samplers include the intricate satin and stem stitched floral borders, the chenille detailing in the flora, finely executed satin and stem stitched architectural details, as…

Probably American, this naive sampler is stitched with silk threads on homespun, unbleached linen with eight rows of alphabets and numerals separated by geometric pattern bands. The verse: There is beyond the sky A heav’n of Joy And Love and holy children when they do go to the wold (sic) Above. Hannah Sills Ended This…

SCOTTISH CUT AND DRAWN WORK SAMPLER, circa 1800, probably executed at a school in Glasgow, backed with green silk. Unframed, good condition. 8-1/4″ x 5″.

Scottish sampler featuring many spot motifs including birds, trees, flowers, dogs, alphabets, family initials, a verse and a peacock within a cartouche lower center. The verse reads: While thus my fingers o’er the canvas roamThe letters form or teach the flowers to blowOh may my soul as pure to world’s aboveAnd learn betimes eternal things…

This band sampler stitched with silk on linen is in superb condition, and demonstrates many of the motifs popular on samplers of this period. It appears never to have been framed or folded, and retains very good color on the front, and excellent color on the back. It has been mounted between two sheets of…

A Spanish Sampler This exquisite Spanish sampler consists of four vertical pattern bands stitched on one piece of fine linen using multicolored silks. The bands demonstrate an astonishing variety of stitches and techniques, all expertly executed, including Aztec, faggot, braid stitch, drawn thread, dove’s eye, cross, double running, and counted satin, to name just a…

This pictorial sampler illustrates the flight of Joseph and Mary into Egypt, accompanied by Christmas themed verses: Bright Angels sung on that happy mornGlory to God a saviour’s bornHe lived he bled he died upon the treeHe reigns in heaven to intercede for me. The sampler has two additional verses: Glory to God in the…