#8031                                                                                            

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17th Century Needlework Casket - I can honestly say that I have never before been able to offer anything as rare as this stunning needlework casket. It is circa 1650 and given the fact that it has never been protected by a frame, and that it has undoubtedly been handled and used for over 350 years, it is absolutely amazing that it is still here today.  This casket is very, very special.  Needlework caskets (or boxes) were made in the 17th century for very wealthy young ladies to keep their treasures and tokens safe. This one may have held letters, jewels or special momentos.

The box is wood covered with linen.  As the pictures show, the linen is filled with lovely swirls, flowers and flourishes. These are outlined using metallic threads and filled in with a velvet-like material and stitching. The needlework covers the front, the back, the two ends and the domed top. The box is made in the shape of a treasure chest and it measures 11" x 7 1/2" x 8 1/2" high.  The inside of the box is lined in a red padded silk.  The bottom of the box is covered in a deep red leather. 

Of course it is showing some wear but considering the extreme age, I think it is still quite lovely. The needlework itself is still in good condition and appears to be strong.  There are several areas of the background linen that look a bit ragged.  Please click on the picture enlargements to get an idea of the condition of the piece.  Both ends of the casket have linen damage just under the lid, as does the back. Amazingly, there are no holes in the linen, but the linen is in rough condition in places. A fair amount of the leather on the bottom of the casket has worn away around the outside edges.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      
    

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                                                                                                                            $2350

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  #8061                         

18th Century Needlework Mirror -

This gorgeous needlework mirror is stunningly rare.  I believe this to be circa 1760. The workmanship is excellent. The red carnations are so realsitic that you wonder if the stitcher was an artist with a brush as well as a needle. She stitched a lovely flame stitch border around the mirror and filled her needlework with with stunning florals and delicate feathery foliage. n.b.The reflection that you see in the picture is the ceiling of the room.
 

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The needlework is oval in shape and measures 13 1/2" x 11 1/2".  The mirror measures 7 1/4" x 5 1/2" and has been replaced. The needlework has been padded and mounted on wood, as you can see by the picture of the back of the piece. This is obviously the original finishing for the mirror. I believe the padding is sawdust. There is some staining around the edges of the needlework, mostly on the top and right side. The linen has 3 small splits where the front edge meets the back. These measure 1 1/4", 1 1/2" and 1/2". Other than the staining, this piece of needlework history is in really good condition for its extreme age.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                $1875

                                                                             #8057                                                                                                      Mary Ann Muir Sampler               

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13 " x 171/2" or 15 3/4" x 20" including a 19th century maple frame. This gorgeous Scottish house sampler was stitched by Mary Ann Muir in 1828. The visual impact of her stunning design is dramatic.  The beautiful house features seven multi- paned windows, a tiled roof and four smoking chimneys. The front garden is surrounded by an elegant brick fence and there is a strutting peacock on the lawn. The two elaborate fruit trees are beautifully stitched and very impressive. 
 
The floral bouquet surrounding the verse at the top is also quite beautiful. The flowers are very detailed and they add a grace- fully delicate elegance to Mary Ann's lovely sampler.  She sur- rounded her piece with an undulating floral border and added the family initials of "EM, JM, JM, and MM". 

 

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Her verse reads:

"Jesus permit thy gracious name to stand
As the first efforts of an infant's hand
And while her fingers on the canvas move
Engage her tender thoughts to seek thy love
With thy dear children let her have a part
And write thy name thyself upon her heart".

She signed her sampler, "Mary Ann Muir 1828".

                                                                                    

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There is a fair amount of damage to the right and bottom edges of the fabric, particularly the bottom left corner.  But most of the damage is outside the stitching area.  There is also just a bit of damage in the verse near the word "effort"and a tiny bit of bleeding near the fruit trees. The sampler is otherwise in good condition.  The colors are vibrant and there are almost no losses to the silks. It has been mounted on acid-free board.                                                                                                       $3195

                                                                             #8067                                                                                                      Jane Crow Sampler               

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19" x 19 1/2". 24 " x 24 1/2 " including a 19th century bird's eye maple frame. Mary Crow was born on August 5, 1825 in Angus County, Montrose, Scotland.  Her parents were James Crow and Jane Strachan.  In the 1841 Scotland Census, she listed her occupation as "flaxspinner".  Perhaps she spun the flax for this very piece of linen!

Her sampler features a lovely Scottish alphabet, a large undulat- ing pansy band, a charming sailing ship and Adam and Eve under the tree of life.  She also added several family initials including  "JC, EK, JC, JC, AC, MC, EC,AF, MF, and AN". 

                                          

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Her verse reads:

"Love them that love me
And those that seek me
Shall early find me."

She signed her sampler,  " Jane Crow's Work 
Aged 12  1837".

                                                                                    

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The condition of Jane's sampler is good. There is a hole in each of the top two corners and one more next to the second bloom in the large floral band.  And while some of the letter- ing is a bit faded, it is still readable. There are no losses to the stitching.   The sampler has been lined with an old piece of cotton which is probably original to the piece and it has been mounted on acid-free board.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               $1775