#6927                                                                                                        " S.H."  Sampler              

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17 1/2 " x 18".    20 " x 20 1/2 " including a modern frame.   Our sampler maker did not give us her name, but she did include the initials " S.H." and "age 12" as well as the date 1839.   She also gave us her parents initials - " J.H. and B.A. H".  So we don't know exactly who she was or where she was from, but we do know that she stitched a very charming sampler filled with the wonderful motifs that would have appealed to a twelve year old girl.  Her sampler has a naive kind of charm that I find very appealing.              
 

 

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The focal point of the sampler is a  lady carrying a basket and wearing a bonnet.    Her face, bonnet, bodice and basket are all stitched over one thread, which gives the lady a lovely texture.  The stitches used include cross stitch over one thread and over two threads, eyelet stitch and sawtooth satin stitch.  There are florals, birds, trees, hearts and two fairly detailed houses in the bottom corners of the sampler.   There is also an interesting three sided border with strawberries at the top and florals down the sides.                                                                                                   

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The condition of this sweet sampler is quite good.   There is a bit of thread loss in the sawtooth satin stitched band and a couple of minor stains.  The only noticable stain is in the bottom left border area. But there are no holes in the fabric and the colors are quite good.     The sampler has been mounted on acid-free board.                                                                                                                                                                                                        $895

                                                                         #6826                                                                                                    English Motif Sampler
                                            

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13 1/2 " x 14 1/4".    17 1/2" x 18 " including a 19th century maple frame.   While it is not signed or dated, this beautiful motif sampler is circa 1840.   Motif samplers are very different from most other types of samplers in that they are generally much more decorative.   There are no alphabets and no verses.   What you see are lots of truly lovely decorative motifs.    And that is what appeals to me about this beautiful sampler.   And, equally appealing is the lovely sheen from the silks.  These motifs almost jump out at you because the fibers actually shine.
 

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There are birds, trees, baskets of fruit, and lots of gorgeous florals.   The three florals in the center of the sampler are expecially wonderful.  The top center bird appears to be a peacock as he is quite colorful and is sporting a bit of a topknot on his head.   The undulating floral border is also quite lovely.  It's a bit unusual to see so many different flowers in a border.   This one features roses, tulips, honeysuckle and the occaisional strawberry just to name a few.                                                                                                                      

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The sampler is showing some darkening in the center of the piece most likely caused by the sampler being mounted on a wood stretcher at some time.   There is also one large hole in the fabric located in the upper right corner of the sampler and there is a bit of wear to the left fabric edge outside of the stitched area.   But the silks are lovely and quite vibrant and there is no bleeding.  The sampler has been mounted on acid-free board.                                                                                                                                   $935

                                                                         #6641                                                                                                  Elizabeth Larkens Sampler
                                                  

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13" x 16".   18 1/2" x 22 " including the original frame.   Elizabeth's sampler is simply wonderful!   The two black faced men at the bottom appear to be dressed in jester-like costumes.  I suspect that these are meant to be characters from some type of English music hall performance.   English samplers are often filled with the wonders of what was going on in the world around the young girls who stitched them. In any case they are amazingly rare and very, very special.   And the figures are not the only special thing about this sampler. It is filled with lovely florals, trees, birds, dogs, and many other beautiful motifs.  There are alphabets, and a verse all surrounded with an elegant honeysuckle vine border.   Elizabeth's sampler is quite beautiful.

n.b. Thanks to London antique dealer Erna Hiscock,  I can now explain the significance of the two black face figures.  Erna writes, "Your sampler represents Harlequin, the partner of Columbine.  He is often portrayed with a black mask.  Harlequin was supposedly born in Bergamo and was a servant of one of the main char- acters named Pantaloon.  He was the lover or husband to Columbine, a maid in the same household. He spent most of his time in romantic dalliance, plotting mischief, hence the mask.  The story is based on a 16th century Italian comedy.  By the 18th century it had degenerated into light musical entertain- ment and was being performed in London.  These figures first appeared on samplers in the 1770s".  Thank you, Erna & John.  If you know the right person to ask, finding the answer is easy!

  

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                                                                                                                                                The verse reads:
" During the time of life allotted me
Grant me good God my wealth and liberty
I ask no more if thou art Please to give
I will with thanks the over plus Received".

She signed her sampler,  " wrought by Elizabeth Larkens in the 16 year of her age   1821".                                                                                                                                                             

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There is some damage to the fabric in the bottom left corner, as well as small holes in the upper left and bottom right corners.   And there are four very small holes in the alphabet area.  But, the sampler has been stitched to another piece of linen, so it is well stablized.  There are no thread losses and the silks are still vibrant and they retain their sheen, so it is still in good condition.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                         $2650

 #6213 - Map Sampler

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19 1/2" x 22 ".    12 1/2" x 262 " including old gilded frame (probably the origianl).   This beautiful map sampler shows a detailed rendition of England as well as the edges of Scot- land and Ireland.  It features a stunning floral border and a depiction of Britannia seated next to a cornucopia.  The workmanship on the border and on Britannia is wonderful, as are the colors and the sheen of the silks.  Also depicted are " The Irish Sea, St. George's Channel, the English Channel, the Straits of Dover and the German Ocean".          

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                                                                                                                                                                                                      It is stitched with silk on silk, and as silk is not the most durable of fabrics, there is a fair amount of damage to the fabric.  Most of the damage is around the perimeter of the sampler, but there are     four noticable damaged areas in the body of the sampler.                                                           These are clearly visable in the pictures.                          

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There are also two stains on the sampler - one in the upper right border area and the other just be- neath Britannia.   I believe the sampler to be circa 1840.  This is a very nice map sampler at a very affordable price.                                                                                                                                                                                    $535
      

                                                                         #6420                                                                                                          Silk Embroidery
                                                  

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11 1/4" x 12 ".    15 3/4" x 16 1/2 " including a stunning original bird's eye maple frame.  This lovely bouquet of flowers is stitched with silk on silk.  It is circa 1830.  The incredibly delicate flowers are gathered with a ribbon bow and surrounded with an undulating vine of more flowers.   The workmanship is exquisite and the shading is lovely.      

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The maple frame is probably the most beautiful 19th century frame I have ever seen.  The corner details are wonderful and its condition is quite good with only a few scratches to the finish.                                                                                                                                                               

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As with most needlework that is stitched on silk, the fabric is showing some wear.   The most noticable areas are the top left and the bottom right corners of the fabric.   There are a few small holes in the center area, but these are not very noticeable.  In spite of the damage to the silk, this is still a lovely example of fine needlework.                                                                                                                                                                                                             $625

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#6383
 Miniature Sampler

11 1/4" x 8".  16 " x 12 1/2" including a modern frame.   This extremely unusual miniature sampler is very charming and quite lovely.  Although the center of the sampler is filled with a series of initials, (either that or a series of letters that do not have an obvious meaning), our stitcher did not sign her name to the piece.          

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She started her sampler with three compartment- alized alphabets across the top.   She followed that with an assortment of spot motifs including a crown, an altar, a church, and several small animals includ- ing a very unusual bird.   But, the true beauty of this sampler is in the wonderful surrounding floral border.  It surrounds the motifs as well as the cartouche in the center, giving the entire sampler a light, airy appearance.  The sampler is dated 1810 in the center of the altar.                                                                                                                                                 

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                                                                                                                                            Sadly, there are some problems to the condition of this sweet sampler.    There are several holes in the ground fabric.   The worst of these is, of course, in the center of the piece.   If you click on the enlarged pictures, the holes are visible.   But, there are no losses to the silk (other than in the center) and the colors are still vibrant.  There is no staining.  The sampler has been mounted on acid free board.
                                                                                                                                       $495