M. Rees British Colonial Sampler

Description

This elaborate English sampler features a fearsome tiger beneath a tropical plantation house or gazebo, covered in lush trellises and vines. To the left of the house, a peacock and peahen roost in a tree with a rooster below them. Huge, exotic butterflies flutter around. This was probably stitched in either Africa or India (more likely the latter) by a British girl whose father was in the employ of an enterprise such as the East India Company, as the sampler was made before British rule in India but during the period when the EIC flourished there (1757-1858). The house rests atop tiered lawns and is flanked by intricately stitched trees and flowering plants. The original sampler measures 13″ x 16″, and was stitched on approximately 50 count linen. The kit is supplied with 40 count linen, so the finished size of the reproduction will be approximately 16″x22″. The chart and instructions are printed in full color. The sampler requires 25 different colors of floss. It is recommended for intermediate level needle workers.

WITH THANKS TO NATHAN BURT FOR STITCHING THE MODEL

View the original antique sampler here