Description
English sampler stitched on fine tammy with a four-sided floral border surrounding a verse and a female allegorical figure identified as the virtue of “Prudence”. She is flanked by baskets of flowers.
The verse is:
WISDOM
One thing I ask and wilt thou hear
And grant my soul a gift so dear?
Wisdom descending from above;
The choicest token of thy love.
Within the cartouche below “Prudence” is stitched:
Mary Marshall Winthorpe
Finished this Work April 15th
1821 Aged 11 Years
A dark stag sits on a hill in the lower quarter flanked by stacks of evergreen trees (similar to those that appear on many Scottish samplers). The color and condition are very good with some minor color bleed in the area of the evergreens (visible in the photos). There are some very minor holes in the tammy ground but they do not affect the design and are barely discernible.
The sampler has been mounted over acid-free card and measures 12-1/2″ x 16″ (15-1/2″ x 18-1/2″ to the edges of the frame).
There is a twin to this sampler available from another source. It would be wonderful to discover the common denominator.
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