VOLUME XXX
6DPaOLQ s:
A SELECTED OFFERING OF ANTIQUE SAMPLERS AND NEEDLEWORK
est. 1947
M. Finkel e:J Daughter. AMERICA' S LEADING ANTIQUE SAMPLER & NEEDLEWORK DEALER
936 Pine Street . Philadelphia. Pennsylvania . 19107-6128 215-627-7797.800-598-7432. fax 215-627-8199 www.samplings.com
Please visit our website: www.samplings.com
detail of sampler by Celenda Richardson, New Hampshire, 1818, p. 4
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detail of map silk embroidery by Maria Merritt, New York, 1817, p. 7
Copyright © 2006 by M. Finkel & Daughter, Inc. All rights reserved. o part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage and retrieval system now known or to be invented, without the permission in writing from M. Finkel & Daughter, Inc. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Welcome to our Samplings catalogue, Volume XXX ...
We hope that you enjoy this catalogue, our 30th issue, and we thank all of you for your continued and growing interest in this field. The field of schoolgirl samplers and needlework provides fascinating opportunities to collectors. A sampler acts as a window into the specific history of a young girl, her family, a teacher, a town, a region, and a tradition, and as such provides us with unusual insight. It goes without saying that samplers, from a simple marking piece to an elaborate scene, are also extremely visually appealing. Each of our samplers has been fully researched and documented; it is well-known that we both conduct ourselves and have others engage in intensive genealogical research and often achieve important results. When we describe a sampler or silk embroidery, we frequently refer to a number of fine books that have been written in this field. A selected bibliography is included at the end of the catalogue and is updated regularly. If any of these books prove difficult to procure, let us know and perhaps we can assist in locating them. We also include a description page about our conservation methods and encourage you to call us with any questions in this area. This year marks the 60th anniversary of the founding of our firm. We continue to value our positive relationships with clients, many of whom are now second generation, and strive to maintain our commitment to customer service. Buying antiques should be based in large measure on trust and confidence, and we try to treat each customer as we ourselves like to be treated. We operate by appointment and are at the shop five days a week, except when we are exhibiting at antiques shows. Please let us know of your plans to visit us. We suggest that you contact us in a timely fashion if one or more of our samplers is of interest to you. Should your choice be unavailable, we suggest that you discuss your collecting objectives with any one of us. Our inventory is extensive, and we have many items not included in our catalogue. Moreover, through our sources, we may be able to locate the sampler that you are looking for; you will find us knowledgeable and helpful. Payment may be made by check, VISA, Mastercard, or American Express, and we ask for payment with your order. Pennsylvania residents should add 6% sales tax. All items are sold with a five day return privilege. Expert packing is included: shipping and insurance costs are extra. We prefer to ship via UPS ground or Federal Express air, insured. We look forward to your phone calls and your interest.
www.samplings.com Please check our website for frequent updates
Amy Finkel Morris Finkel Jamie Banks mailbox@samplings.com 800-598-7432
Are you interested in selling? We are constantly purchasing antique samplers and needlework and would likE; to know what you have for sale. We can purchase outright or act as your agent. Photographs sent to us will receive our prompt attention. Call us for more information.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. FinkelaJ Daughter.
ALPHABETICAL LISTING OF CONTENTS Elizabeth Anderson, Scotland, circa 1800 ......................................... 22 Mary Bates, England, 1742 .................................................... 16 Sarah Bewley, England, 1735 ................................................... 28 Blue and White Sampler, England, 1749 .......................................... 12 Elizabeth Bussom, Burlington County, New Jersey, 1824 ............................. 6 Charlotte Cannon, Niagara Falls, New York, 1844 .................................. 11 Lydia B. Clifton, Rochester, Plymouth County, Massachusetts, 1832 ................... 19 Emily Matilda Curtiss, Meriden, Connecticut, 1835 ................................. 21 Juana Dominguez, Mexico, 1743 ................................................. 8 Gentleman and his Falcon, Europe, circa 1750 .................................... 26 Ann Greatorex, England, 1841 .................................................. 29 Greenwood Seminary, Terrell and Morton family, Virginia, circa 1820 ................... 2 HS, Motif Sampler, Holland, 1814 ............................................... 28 Eliza Holmes, Campton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, 1821 ...................... 17 Mary Howe, England, 1832 .................................................... 12 Patty Jameson, Dunbarton, New Hampshire, 1814 ................................. 25 Orpah P. Lewis, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1825 ................................. 3 Elizabeth Loring, Hingham, Massachusetts, 1784 .................................. 16 Maria Merritt, Double Hemisphere Map Silk Embroidery, New York, 1817 ............... 7 Miniature Crewelwork Pocket, American, late 18th century .......................... 14 Eugenia Danels Mumma, Baltimore, 1835 ........................................ 10 Mary Napper, Harlequin & Columbine, England, 1813 .............................. 20 Mary Newlin, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1835 ................................. 18 "Memento Mori" silk embroidery, Moses and Elizabeth Peck, Boston, Mass., c. 1810 ...... 5 Annie M. Peters, Bristol Orphanage School, Bristol, England, 1882 .................... 15 Celenda Richardson, Family Register Sampler, Litchfield, New Hampshire, 1818 .......... 4 Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum, probably New York, circa 1850 ...................... 29 Sable Beadwork, Coat of Arms, France, circa 1750 ................................. 27 Cornelia Stryker, Rocky Hill, Somerset County, New Jersey, 1823 ...................... 1 Edna Stubbs, England, 1828 .................................................... 9 Nancy Vredenburgh, Mount Tabor Academy, East Chester, New York, 1838 ............. 13 Ann Walton, Philadelphia area, Pennsylvania, 1817 ................................. 23 Louisa Warfield, Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, 1835 ....................... 24
detail of sampler by Sarah Bewley, England, 1735, p. 28
M. Finkel & Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Cornelia Stryker, Rocky Hill, Somerset County, New Jersey, 1823 The finest early 19th century American samplers are those that embody the strength and spirit of early folk art. Attributes can include bold depictions of architecture and use of color, pattern and contrast in a manner that is still fresh today. A handful of samplers worked under the instruction of Mary Bellamy of northern New Jersey are considered to be amongst the most exciting of this type and Cornelia Stryker's sampler is the finest known example from this school. Born in 1810 to a family with deep roots in the Dutch American community of New Jersey, Cornelia was the daughter of Gerardus Beekman Stryker and his wife Catherine Conover Stryker, whose initials appear on the sampler. Her great grandfather, Abraham Stryker (1715-1777), a deacon of the Dutch Reform Church and a patriot, acquired land at Rocky Hill and the family remained on this land until the early 20th century. Cornelia married Jeremiah VanDeventer, of the nearby town of Boundbrook in 1831. Jeremiah went on to become president of the First National Bank of Plainfield and the family built an important mid 19th century home in North Plainfield, the Vermeule Mansion, which serves today as a museum and historic site of Somerset County. The Van Deventers had one child, a daughter Caroline Rogers Van Deventer Brunson and Cornelia died in 1898. The sampler was completed with an interesting vocabulary of stitches including cross stitch, chain stitch, eyelet stitch and satin stitch. Cornelia's sampler closely resembles one made by Amy Eliza Herbert's sampler, circa 1825, in the collection of the DAR Museum in Washington. Another known example of this group, worked by Sarah Van Cleef, states that the teacher was Mary Bellamy and further research is being conducted into the specific identity of this creative and talented teacher. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a 19th century mahogany frame. Sampler size: 17'' x 16W'
Price upon request.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND
EEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel e; Daughter.
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Greenwood Seminary, Terrell and Morton family, Virginia, circa 1820 A fascinating group of Virginia samplers, each depicting a large house with tall brick chimneys and many windows, was worked in the area of Orange, Hanover and neighboring counties in the years between 1817 and 1848. Colonial Williamsburg curator Kim Smith lvey in her book, In the Neatest Manner: The Making of the Virginia Sampler Tradition documents this group as "The Open Window Samplers" noting that some of these samplers were worked at the Greenwood Seminary. Our excellent sampler, made by a member of the Terrill-Morton family of Orange County, Virginia, is a new discovery and important addition to this group. The four names inscribed along the top of the sampler are those of the four grandparents of the maker. The Terrell Genealogy, by Emma Dicken indicates that Reuben Terrill (b. 1784), son of William and Jane Terrill, married Susannah Morton (b. 1786), daughter of George and Jane Morton, in 1805. One of the three Terrill daughters, Elizabeth, Nancy and Keturah, born between 1808 and 1815, would have been the maker of this sampler. It shares all of its salient characteristics with three of the published examples from this group, figures 127, 128 and 130 in In the Neatest Manner: The Making of the Virginia Sampler Tradition, including the name of Greenwood Seminary which appears on figure 127, an 1817 sampler made by Mary Tomlin of Hanover County. Ms. Ivey notes that an 1811 advertisement names a teacher who was quite possibly responsible for these samplers, a Miss Terrel, and we hope that further research will reveal specifics regarding this outstanding group. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into its fine original rosewood veneer beveled frame. Sampler size: 16" x 17"
Price: $22,000.
M. Finkel e:J Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Orpah P. Lewis, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1825 amplermaking in Chester County, Pennsylvania enjoyed a flourishing in the 1820s and 1830s when a roup of large and extravagant samplers featuring lawns of romping animals, fine cener cartouches, li ting of family members and excellent arcaded orders were made. These samplers share much in the way of compo ition but of our e, some of e amplermaker howed <Sreater aptitude - an others just as -orne of the teacher were more talented than others. We are privileged to offer Orpah P. Lewis's outstanding sampler which is one of the most exuberant and fully developed of its type. Orpah shared credit by including the name of her eacher, Mary Richards, on her sampler and this will likely lead to further scholarship regarding this Chester County group. Orpah P. Lewis was from early and prominent Quaker families on both sides, although by the early 19th entury they were no longer recognized by the Friends Meeting. The family lived in Radnor, Delaware County, right at the Chester County line. Her father, Phineas Lewis, was a son of Evan and Sarah !Hunter) Lewis. The Lewis family descended from William Lewis (1636- 1708) who settled in this area by the late 17th century. Phineas married Mary Caley, daughter of Samuel and Hannah (Reese) Caley, on December 19, 1805 at Christ Church in Philadelphia. The couple lived in Radnor Township and bore twelve children; Orpah was their third child, born circa 1808. Orpah married John G. Craig of Marple Township in Delaware County, and they became the parents of four children, remaining active in the area. Betty Ring writes about this group in Girlhood Embroidery, vol II, and states that these exceptionally large pictorial samplers in their elaborate mahogany frames became major decorations in the front halls or family parlors of Chester County homes. We can be certain that this would have applied to Orpah Lewis's sampler. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition with its original silk rosettes in each corner. It has been conservation mounted and is in its excellent original mahogany frame with carved corner blocks. Sampler size: 181fz'' x 2PN'
Framed size: 24" x 271fz''
Price upon request.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Celenda Richardson, Family Register Sampler, Litchfield, New Hampshire, 1818 Genealogical samplers are prized for their form as well as their content, and their composition often reflects the neoclassical architecture of the period. The early nineteenth century saw a flowering of this style of sampler, the majority of which were made in New England. Litchfield, New Hampshire is a small town in the southern part of the state, south of Manchester. A teacher of substantial knowledge and talent must have been at work there in the early 19th century and this exceptional sampler, worked by Celenda Richardson in 1819, is the second example of this group to come to the attention of scholars in the field . The Campbell Family Register in the Theodore H. Kapnek Collection is published as figure 67 in A Gallery of American Samplers by Glee F. Krueger, and was exhibited at The Museum of American Folk Art in 1978. The Campbell and Richardson samplers share a great deal in both overall composition and technique with arch topped columns, baskets of full-blossomed flowers forming the three-sided border, the memorial scene with tomb and willow tree and the outer border of satin stitched diamonds. Details such as the delicate black swags over the titles "NAMES I BORN I DIED" and the pair of bow-knotted flower bouquets in the upper corners also appear on both samplers. The Richardson family came to America in 1630, sailing with the Winthrop Fleet, as part of the Great Migration, when as many as 20,000 people journeyed from England to America between 1620 and 1640. Five generations later, Josiah Richardson (b. 1729) removed from Massachusetts to Litchfield, New Hampshire and the family remained in Litchfield. Celenda Richardson's father, Josiah (b. 1784) married Lucy Reed (b. 1788) and their family is documented on this sampler, which Celenda made when she was "in her 10 year." Her sampler descended in the family until very recently. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a 19th century gold leaf frame. Sampler size: 19" x 16314''
Price: $12,000.
M. Finkel e!J Daughter. AMERrcA¡s LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
"Memento Mori" to Moses and Elizabeth Peck, Boston, Massachusetts, silk embroidery, circa 1810
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The beginning of the nineteenth century saw a great interest in memorializing the deceased; the Latin phrase, "Memento Mori," with its biblical origins, found its way onto paintings and decorative arts of the Federal period including ceramics, jewelry and of course, embroideries. Schoolgirls throughout New England memorialized deceased family members by making beautifully designed embroidered pictures that incorporated the specific information about their deaths as well as religious verse that served to comfort and to caution .
. loses Peck, watchmaker and silversmith, was born in New Haven in 1717 and removed to Boston where, in 1758, he married Elizabeth Townsend, born in 1729. They died, respectively, in 1801 and 1795, and this exemplary silk embroidery depicts a stunning architectural monument memorializing them. They were the parents of seven children, at least two of whom lived to adulthood and married, and it is likely that one of their granddaughters worked this embroidery. The classical lines of Federal design of the period form the black and white monument which is surmounted by a large flame-top urn. A graceful leafy tree with shaded trunk arches over the scene and the inscriptions were all w itten with graphite pencil on the silk. Details include the monogrammed initials of Moses and Elizabeth under the swag on the top plinth and the use of seed stitch to provide hadi ng to the marble monument as well as to fo rm a decorative border just above the band of black along the bottom of the tomb. While this may indeed be a depiction of the actual grave site of Moses and Elizabeth Peck, it is just as likely that the instructress overseeing this embroidery designed this impressive monument specifically for this needlework depiction. Worked in silk and pencil on silk, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a 19th century gold leaf frame with a replaced eglomise glass mat. Size of the embroidery: 13lfz'' x lOW'
Framed size: 20" x 171/4''
AME RICA's LEADING s AMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Price: $12,000.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Elizabeth Bussom, Burlington County, New Jersey, 1824
The pictorial samplers of Burlington County, New Jersey are highly regarded by scholars and collectors; they share whimsical scenes, strong composition and excellent needlework, and Elizabeth Bussom's sampler worked in 1824 is a splendid example from this area. It depicts a stately house flanked by tall pine trees and set on a classic lawn with a picket fence but it is obvious that the oversized birds and charming little animals also captured the attention of young Elizabeth. Satin stitched platforms support large baskets of fruit worked in the traditional queen's stitch and are countered by the many fat birds hovering nearby and a pair of rampart lions that frame the ~,, inscription. ifi' The inscription on the sampler reads, "Elizabeth Bussom's Sampler Wrought in her 13th Year May the first 1824." Elizabeth Bussom was born in 1812, the daughter of James and Mary (Bodine) Bussom who were married in Burlington County in 1810. Elizabeth married Wright Hartshorn, also a Burlington County native; she died in 1841 and is buried in the Upper Springfield Friends Burial Ground in Burlington County. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a cherry and maple cornerblock frame. Sampler size: 16W' x 17W'
Price: $24,000.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
(detail)
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laria Merritt, Double Hemisphere Map Silk Embroidery, ~ "ew York, 1817
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American map silk embroideries are extremely rare with only two schools known to have produced hem. One of these is the Pleasant Valley School in Dutchess County, New York, discussed by Betty Ring in Girlhood Embroidery, vol II (pages 312 to 317). This girls' boarding school was founded by three Quaker ladies from prominent and well-educated families, and is the origin of our praiseworthy map by Maria Merritt, dated 1817, which is specifically referred to by Betty Ring on page 314. Map embroideries made at this school date between 1803 and 1824 and can, according to Mrs. Ring, incl ude, "the two hemispheres ... Continents or countries are usually outlined with chenille, all lettering is worked in hair-fine black silk, and shorelines are edged with blue paint. A worked and painted ribbonlike banner may identify the subject of the map and the maker often included her name, the name of her hometown and the date." Pleasant Valley silk embroidered maps are large and impressive with breathtaking detail as is obvious when studying Maria Merritt's work. Interesting to note are some of the place names, including New Albion at the west coast of the United States. This was the name given by Sir Francis Drake to California and was widely used in the early 19th century. Owhyhee is believed to be the early spelling of Hawaii, all of India was called Hyndoostan and the Bering Sea was then called the Sea of Kamtchatka. Worked in silk, chenille and water color on silk, it is in very good condition with some minor loss, and has been conservation mounted into a gold frame. Provenance: America Hurrah, New York Private collection of Susan Burrows Swan, Winterthur. Illustrated in Early American Life Magazine, 1984, Appreciating American Samplers, Part II, by Susan Burrows Swan, figure 6.
Size of the needlework: 203!4'' x 27 114''
Price: $22,000.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
(detail)
M. Finkel e:J Daughter.
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Juana Dominguez, Mexico, 17 43 In 1993, The Textile Museum in Washington, D.C. mounted an exhibition entitled "Mexican Samplers: Patterns of Continuity and Change," which included samplers dating from the 18th century though the second half of the 19th century. In an article in The Textile Museum Bulletin which accompanied the exhibition, needlework scholar and guest curator, Kathleen Epstein Staples wrote that these samplers expressed the "transformations of indigenous, European and Oriental designs and stitch techniques into an embroidery tradition that is uniquely Mexican ... [these] design and embroidery techniques were brought to New Spain in a variety of ways. But probably the most important vehicles for the transmission of sampler designs and stitches were the various schools set up throughout New Spain by pious women and nuns." We were very pleased to have recently purchased this extraordinary Mexican sampler which is signed, "Made by Juana Dominguez following the teaching of instructress Antonia Fernandez, at twelve years of age in November 1743." It offers the elaborate blocks and bands of delicate patterns rendered in lustrous silks found on the most interesting Mexican samplers with the inscription worked around all sides of the sampler. A pastoral scene dominates the center; this was worked in extremely fine cross stitch and depicts a young boy on a bull with a flock of sheep by a pond under billowing clouds. The overall composition is beautifully balanced, with corner elements and an excellent binding with silk tassels, another traditional Mexican device. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a black and gold painted frame. Approximate sampler size: 25" square
Frame size: 28W' x 29"
Price: $8200.
M. Finkel as Daughter. AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
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Edna Stubbs, England, 1828 e Old Testament story · om the Book of Ruth is -· e ubject of this . raordi nary pictorial pier made by Edna -·ubb and dated 1828. r e ubject is Ruth, c.aughter of Naomi, who : epicted wearing ~loth ing that reflects the ·ashion of the 1820s, -:fathering barley into er white apron. She . ·as gleaning from the rops at the edge of the :Jelds belonging to the . ·ealthy Boaz, whom she later married. A biblical quotation provides the caption for the scene. Rutlt the Xlloa1ites$ said
unto Naomi,
Let
me nc>w go to
tile lleld, am! glean ears of corn after billl m whose sigh( ~ Bible stories were popu.ball ftn.f crace, An.!. she sai<l unto her, Go, my daughter. lar with early 19th cenRuth chapter II, verse 2 . ury teachers and choolgirls in England and America. The story of Ruth appears as a ubject on silk embroideries with some frequency but has been rarely found worked on amplers. This is a large and impressive piece with strong color and excellent composition. Some of the needlework is extremely tight and fine the unusual three-tiered trees and the scene of the little church and field in the background were accomplished in this very fine work; while Ruth's flower-decorated hat was worked in an equally difficult technique, the bullion stitch, one not frequently found on samplers. Note further details such as the bands of design along the bottom of Ruth's dress, her little black shoes and the tendrils of her hair.
We have owned another sampler worked at the same school (dated 1827) and hope that further research will identify the school or town where these were made. It is likely that Edna Stubbs was the young lady of the same name whose christening was recorded in 1818 at Walton Le Dale, in Lancashire, England. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a period bird's-eye maple frame with gilt liner. Sampler size: 20" x 16W'
Price: $7800.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwo RK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Eugenia Danels Mumma, Baltimore, 1835 American samplers can offer scenes with a fresh, folk quality that is not generally found on samplers of any other origin. Eugenia Danels Mumma, aged twelve years and living in Baltimore, was the maker of this outstanding example on which the depiction of a house on lawn with trees, birds and flower baskets has all of the personality of a folk painting. Along with the poem, which celebrates the role of their teachers and parents, and the interesting family history which accompanies it, it is indeed an attractive sampler. The Mumma family in America began with Lenhart Mumma, who sailed on the ship Johnson from Rotterdam in 1732 along with his wife and five children. They landed in Philadelphia, joining the thousands for German immigrants who settled~in Pennsylvania in the early 18th century. New Holland, Lancaster Co., Pennsylvania became home to the Mumma family and four more children were born and christened there. Lenhart Mumma was the great great great grandfather of Eugenia Danels Mumma and the family remained in Pennsylvania for many generations, removing to Baltimore in the late 18th century. Eugenia was the daughter of David and Julia Ann (Taylor) Mumma whose 1823 marriage was recorded in Baltimore. David served as the superintendent of the Baltimore and York Pike Road, keeping the first toll house out of Baltimore. Eugenia married Lewis Gabler, a carpenter, in Baltimore in 1849 and their three children were christened at the First Reformed Church of Baltimore. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a maple and cherry cornerblock frame. Sampler size: 16W' x 18 1/z" Price: $18,500. (detail)
M. Finkel f!J Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
harlotte Cannon, Niagara Falls, New York, 1844 annon family left Yorkshire, England and settled in Niagara Falls, New York in 1835; Niagara :: . ·as then an obscure village and John Cannon was a butcher and minister in the Methodist ~-:: opal Church. He and his wife, Margaret Lambert, raised seven children and the family is consid- .: among t the town's important early settlers and prominent citizens, well documented in Niagara ounty \"ew York History by Edwards T. Williams. Charlotte Cannon, daughter of John and Margaret, -·he maker of this sampler which features alphabets and a scene of a small house with trees and a c dog, displaying a -~ rming and fresh - c e. Charlotte was min England in 1830 ·.., came to the United when she was two _.:ar of age. ·ere ting to note in that _··a<'ara Falls had a -- .oolhouse newly built and it must be ··umed that Charlotte rked her sampler - ere. Town records india e that the Rev. John annon used to the new :: ool building to hold ·.urch services, begin·nd the night of its com:- e ion. Worked in silk wool on linen, the sampler is in excellent ondition and has been on ervation mounted - o a dark cherry corerblock frame. Sampler size: 12" x 8" Framed size: 16" x 12" Price: $4800.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Blue and White Sampler, England, 17 49 The maker of this little mid 18th century English sampler stitched alphabets and numerical progressions and included crowns and initials of family members. Also featured are specific horizontal bands of designs that had been used on samplers and needlework for centuries even at that point, originating in 16th century European pattern books. The date, "ANNO 1749," appears at the end of the last line of numbers. The sampler is surrounded by two zigzag borders which provide a strong visual framework and the use of a strong blue set on a crisp white furthers the appeal of this piece. Worked in linen on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into an early 19th century frame. Sampler size: 10 114'' square Price: $2200.
Mary Howe, England, 1832 Mary Howe worked this sampler in 1832; a handsome pictorial piece featuring a large 16th century manor house on a sloping lawn. The castle-like house, with its crenellated roof and red banners waving, sits on a lustrous lawn of brilliant green satin stitch. A pair of trees flanks the scene and a pair of baskets of flowers flank the verse. A blue decorative band was worked under the lawn and above Mary's inscription. Another bold floral band, with flower buds of red and white spans the sampler under her name. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a beveled bird's eye maple frame. Sampler size: 13 114'' x 17" Price: $4200.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
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_·ancy Vredenburgh, Mount Tabor Academy, East Chester, _·e,v York, 1838 e 1 30s many academies
.... -eminaries were estab-
:: e in small towns and
rde cities with the purpose : e ucating both male and ale tudents. Mount Tabor . a emy, named after the bib·-al mo untain and holy site in Pale tine, was in East Chester, .i h is located in ·: tchester County, eight jle south of White Plains. the early 19th century, East e ter was a small rural - ,·n with a population in 32 of 1300 and with a :~rong Dutch American popuion. ancy Vredenburgh ay have lived in East Chester r may have come to Mount Tabor Academy as a boarder and it is there that she made dll large, fully developed sampler which she inscribed ·o indicate that she completed ·•. quite remarkably, in just :ourteen days. The sampler is replete with a dreat assortment of animals and birds interspersed with evergreen and deciduous trees. A double-chimney brick house is set into the center of a verse entitled "Advice to Youth" which quotes Ecclesiastes 12:1 and reads, "Remember now thy Creator in the days of thy youth while the evil days come nor the years draw nigh when thou halt say I have no pleasure in them." A ditionally other details provide interest, such as the large butterflies interspersed with the birds, -moke curling out of one chimney and six large stars that fill in the area above the house. Fine rawn-work provides an edging for the sampler outside of the arcaded border which itself offers a ·ariety of flowers. The sampler is worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mo unted into a beveled figured maple frame. ampler size: 22" x 17" Price: $18,500. (detail) AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Miniature Crewelwork Pocket, American, late 18th century Colonial Williamsburg curator, Linda Baumgarten, writes in her outstanding book, What Clothes Reveal: The Language of Clothing in Colonial and Federal America, about ladies' pockets: In the eighteenth and early nineteenth centuries, women's gowns did not have sewn-in pockets, probably because pockets filled with personal belongings would have ruined the lines of full, floating skirts. Instead, woman carried small items in separate, commodious bags tied around their waists beneath the skirt. Pockets were functional and hidden from most observers. Yet many women designed them with fine textiles and embroidery, a clue that pockets had some importance beyond function.
While pockets, wholecloth, piece-worked and embroidered, survive in substantial numbers, only a handful of miniature, or doll's pockets, are known. One of these is in the collection of Winterthur Museum; it is a single plain pocket that is "worn" by a doll whose Quaker attire is in keeping with her origin. We offer this splendid rarity which measures only 4W' inch es in height and holds great visual appeal. The embroidery is consistent with the majority of 18th century worked ladies' pockets: accomplished in polychrome two-ply worsted crewel wool, the pattern is that of a leafy vine that follows the outline of the pocket as well as the edging of the opening slit. Flower buds on little sprigs provide further embellishment and a twill-woven tape serves as the binding and ties. It is in excellent condi-
tion and is now presented in a black molded frame. Framed size: 8" x 6'N' Price: $5400.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
..:\nnie M. Peters, Bristol Orphanage School, Bristol, England, 1882 ere exist a group of very well umented samplers that were rked in the Muller Orphanage Hou es of Bristol, England from - e 1 60s through the 1890s. Large numbers of orphans were ou ed and educated there, many : ent much of their childhood in • i institution. Their educations ·.ere geared to provide skills that :ould ultimately help the orphans aain employment, thus needle:ork of the highest quality was entral to the curriculum for :"emales. The samplers worked at ~hi school are highly recognizable and renowned for their great pre~i ion and minute detail. The City of Bristol Museum owns several of ese samplers and a 1983 catalogue that accompanied an exhibi~ion of their samplers notes that the Bristol Orphanage samplers ,·ere "invariably worked in red ... and are distinguished by the regimented rows of alphabets and mall border patterns." Other hallmarks of these samplers are depictions of many tiny pictorial motifs hat can include the Bible, animals, houses, baskets of flowers, and ships. The composition is always ordered and balanced, although of course, some samplermakers showed greater talents than others in oth composition and execution. ~-
Annie Marion Peters was born on January 9, 1865 at Hammersmith in London. Her parents were Frederick Peters, a baker, and his wife Mary Banks. Mary died when Annie was two years old and her father died two years later. Annie was placed in the Bristol Orphanage by her paternal grandmother when she was 5 years of age and remained there until she was 17 years old, living in the New Orphanage House, which was named Ashley Down. In August of 1882, Annie left Bristol to take a position as a housemaid with a Mr. Lock Beveridge of Bournemouth. Her sampler was made in 1882 and most likely functioned as a final project and testimony to her needlework skills, and must have been part of the presentation to her prospective employer.
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(detail)
1882
Bristol Orphanage samplers come onto the market only rarely and for obvious reason are considered highly sought after. Worked in silk on cotton, the sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a period bird's-eye maple frame with a gilt liner. Sampler size: 153!4'' x 13W'
AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Price: $18,500.
M. Finkel as Daughter.
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Elizabeth Loring, Hingham, Massachusetts, 1784 The town of Hingham is located in Plymouth County, Massachusetts and has been home to the Loring and Cushing families since the late 1630s when the town was founded. Both families contributed many illustrious citizens and patriots for centuries. In 1851 Col. Benjamin Loring (1775-1859) donated the funds necessary to build an important public lecture hall and Loring Hall stands as a tribute to the family's support of the town over many generations. The maker of this sampler, Elizabeth Loring, was born in Hingham on July 19, 1774, the eldest child of Abner Loring, a tailor and merchant who is noted for having participated in the alarm on Lexington, Massachusetts on April 19, 1775 and his wife Elizabeth (Cushing) Loring. Elizabeth married a farmer, Thomas Jones, and they remained in the area where they raised five children; Elizabeth died at age 81. Her sampler was "wrote in 1784," as she inscribed in somewhat unusual wording on this endearing little piece. A small scene of animals and stylized trees embellish the bottom of the sampler and it is surrounded by a border of strawberries on vine. A drawn-work edge finishes the sampler. It was worked in silk on linen and remains in excellent condition. Conservation mounted, it is now in a late 19th century veneer frame. Sampler size: lOW' x 9" Price: $4200.
Mary Bates, England, 17 42 This handsome little sampler offers enormous appeal with an early date, strong color and a splendid band of queen's-stitch flowers in a diamond grid. Mary Bates began her sampler in 1741 and completed it in 1742 inscribing on it a moralistic couplet typical of the 18th century period: "Behold Alas Our Days We Spend I How Vain They Be How Soon They End." The alphabets lacks the letters J and U, which is also in keeping with the mid 18th century period, and which was continued for many decades. The sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition; it has been conservation mounted into a fine 18th century black painted frame with a sanded gold liner. Sampler size: 6314'' x 6W' Framed size: 11" x lOlfz''
Price: $4800.
M. Finkel & Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Eliza Holmes, Campton, Grafton County, New Hampshire, 1821 In 1 21 two sis·er from the _mall town of ampton, in cen·ral ew Hampshire, made andsome samlers which - rongly resemble one another. Each sampler features <fraphic alphabets -urrounded on hree sides by ,·ide borders of flowe rs and an outstanding scene on lawn of folky animals, birds, +rees and flower a kets. The samler made by Almira Holmes is in the collection of the . 1etropolitan . 1useum of Art and can be found in our Samplings catalogue XXII, page 19). We are pleased to offer now the sampler made by her younger sister, Eliza Holmes. amuel Holmes married Martha Palmer in Campton and they became the parents of ten children including their eldest Almira born in 1803 and Eliza, the second-born in 1805. The family remained in Campton and Eliza married Daniel James. The two samplers vary slightly, with Eliza's offering a slightly folkier personality than Almira's. A large goat and stylized trees dominate this composition with open-blossomed flowers providing trong visual appeal throughout. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a 19th century gold leaf frame. ampler size: 15W' x 17 114''
Price: $18,500.
(detail)
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel & Daughter.
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Mary Newlin, Chester County, Pennsylvania, 1835 This sampler is an excellent example of a distinct style developed in Chester County in the early 19th century. This style was embraced by a number of different teachers who oversaw variations and generated through their students a stunning body of work. Some of the shared characteristics of this group which appear on this sampler made by Mary Newlin of New Garden, Concord Township, are the central cartouche and the many paired trees, baskets, birds, and potted plants. Quite frequently these samplermakers listed the names of family members under headings such as those which Mary Newlin inscribed: "Honoured Parents" and "Sisters & Brothers." Similarly the classic verse, beginning with, "This work in hand my friends may have" has been documented on many of these samplers. This style endured for decades in this area. The Newlin family in Chester County began with Nathaniel Newlin, a Quaker from Ireland who emigrated in 1683 at age 23, along with his parents. The Newlin family settled in Concord Township where Nathaniel and subsequent generations held important civic positions. Five generations later the family still belonged to the Quaker church and remained on much of the same land. Mary Newlin was born in 1812 to Samuel and Mary (Martin) Newlin and made this sampler at the advanced age of 23 years, unmarried, as she remained throughout her life. Mary died in 1881 and a copy of her will, as well as many other documents, accompanies her sampler. Mary named her teacher, Hannah Mercer, on her sampler. This is the first sampler documenting this instructress to come to our attention and our research extended to the further identification of the teacher. The birth of a Hannah Mercer was recorded at the Concord Monthly Meeting in 1796 and it is likely that she became the teacher of Mary Newlin. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a late 19th century frame. Sampler size: 17W' square
Price: $6400.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Lydia B. Clifton, Rochester, Plymouth Co., Mass, 1832
Rochester, Massachusetts is a small town on Cape Cod, located 9 miles east of New Bedford on Buzzard's Bay and established in 1686. Lydia Butler Clifton, at the age of ten in 1832, worked this fine sampler there, naming the town as part of her inscription. Small and large alphabets, vowels and numerical progressions are joined by flower baskets, trees and vining branches as well as a delight¡ully morose two-line verse extolling mental acuity. Lydia was the daughter of a carpenter, Stephen Clifton and his wife Lydia (Butler) Clifton. In 1837 Lydia married Henry Hammond and they had one son, Greenleaf Hammond who was born in 1843. In 1850 Lydia and her son were living with her parents in Rochester, perhaps a young widow. Her sampler was worked in silk on linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a beveled maple frame. ampler size: 15314'' x 16" Price: $5200.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Mary Napper, Harlequin & Columbine, England, 1813 We have known of only a very few English samplers that include depictions of Harlequin and Columbine. The origin of this couple is with the Commedia del Arte, Italian dramatic performance art of the mid 16th century which featured irreverent street theatre. The companies portrayed exuberant characters whose popularity remained intact for centuries and the stories were performed as English pantomimes in the 18th and 19th centuries. Harlequin, a trickster and acrobat, was famous for his parti-colored costume, fanciful hats and blackface mask and his romantic counterpart was Columbine, a servant in the same household. Mary Napper's sampler is a classic example with a layered and balanced composition, a very good variety of colors and carefully executed needlework. Her inscription reads, "Mary Napper Is my Name I And With my Needle I Work The Same I That all The World may Plainly See I What Care my Parents Took Of me," and she stated that she finished it on May 3, 1813. Mary paid particular attention to her portrayal of Harlequin and Columbine, imbuing their faces with strong expression and their colorful costume with good detail; even the splayed fingers of their hands increase their dramatic stance. Other decorative elements include the large pair of butterflies, many pots of flowers, pairs of parrots and other birds and two whimsical dogs. Worked in silk on wool, the sampler is in very good condition with some minor loss to the wool. It has been conservation mounted and is in its original maple frame with a gilt liner. Sampler size: 16W' x 12W'
Price: $3400.
M. Finkel et Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
(detail)
Emily Matilda Curtiss, Meriden, Connecticut, 1835 Industry and happiness are combined in this production of a youthful hand," states the inscrip·ion on this engaging sampler worked by ten-year-old Emily Matilda Curtiss of Meriden, onnecticut. The sampler is divided into four horizontal sections, the lowest register filled with an excellent scene of two well-developed houses, their fences and a fruit tree. The uppermost register, . ·ith its branches and bouquets of large flowers, also allowed young Emily the opportunity to present some of her more complex stitches . . leriden is a small town 17 miles northwest of New Haven and the Curtiss family resided and ;armed there for many generations. Asahel Curtiss married Emily M. Hubbard in 1820 and their 'hree daughters were born between 1821 and 1830; Emily was their middle child, born on March 2 . 1825. The 1903 publication, A Genealogy of the Curtiss Family, by Frederic Haines Curtiss, rovides detailed information about this family, noting, for example, that Asahel's cousin Homer urtiss (1800-1880) was "one of the active conductors of the underground railway during slavery imes." Emily married Waldo Corbin of West Hartford, Connecticut. Waldo spent the years 1849 to 1852 m California as one of the great number of young men seeking gold and fortune as part of the Gold Rush. They married upon his return in 1852 and he became a partner with his brothers in the highly successful family metal manufacturing firm in New Britain, Connecticut. Emily and ·aldo raised five children and Emily continued to live in New Britain where she was listed as a \'idow in an 1887 directory. The other inscription on the sampler reads, "Count that day lost I Whose low descending sun I ounts from thy hand I No worthy action done." Emily's sampler would certainly qualify, then and now, as very worthy handwork. The sampler is worked in silk on tan linen and is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and is in a mahogany frame with a molded bead. ~ampler
size: 16'14'' x 17"
Price: $7800.
AME RicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Elizabeth Anderson, Scotland, circa 1800
Pictorial Scottish samplers are characterized by their strong, animated scenes rendered in exemplary needlework. Their makers generally included initials of parents and family members and, occasionally, the name of their teacher. Elizabeth Anderson worked just such a sampler, a captivating piece featuring a faultlessly stitched lawn of shaded coloration with whimsical trees, birds and thistles. The sampler shares specific elements with other documented Scottish samplers, notably the unusual pair of gentlemen under the leafy tree and the stylized rabbit. The names and initials, worked in the classic curlicued Scottish letters, are grouped with fine garlands of open-blossomed flowers, and a delicate vining border of buds, leaves and tendrils frames the sampler on four sides. Overall this sampler offers great appeal. Worked in silk on wool, it is in very good condition with some very minor overall darkening to the wool. It has been conservation mounted and is in its original black painted and molded frame. Sampler size: 12 114'' x 14"
Price: $5800.
M. Finkel as Daughter. AMERICA'S LEADING SAMPLER AND NEEDLEWORK DEALER
Ann Walton, Philadelphia area, Pennsylvania, 1817 Ann Walton was the daughter of Isaac and Martha (Lloyd) Walton, prominent Quakers from Horsham Meeting; born in 1802, Ann made this stunning and highly sophisticated sampler at age 15 in 'l'O IO Pt'Cilll~r lOt 01 Hff 1817. Her work closely .;,;.- lt 'n'U'ii1\!!~S COlfilld. .lit M il~ ~elf a~>rrovel~ Jole'ln resembles two others "'f(1lld FJT11l ~.Q"Ilt~lfted \1\i11d, known; the work of young ladies from Quaker fami+lo:< -'uJ u._ lies in this area and the samplers each include the ~.!r;· same border, which is almost unparalleled in design and execution. This framework is reminiscent of 18th century design with a cartouche embellished with a series of intricate flowers, buds and berries. The enclosed motifs, pairs of birds, branches of flowers and baskets of flowers are classic Quaker designs which enjoyed popularity in this area at that time. Overall this is an ambitious and truly winning sampler of excellent composition and beautifully realized needlework. ·
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The four-line verse holds strong appeal and is one which is not common found on samplers. It reads as follows: "To no particular lot in life is happiness confind I But in the self approveing heart and firm contended mind." According to published records, Isaac Walton married Martha Lloyd in 1799 at Horsham Meeting, and they lived in nearby Willow Grove which is where their daughters, Lydia and Ann were born. At age 19 Ann married Thomas Tomlinson and they became member of the Byberry Meeting, raising four sons and one daughter. Thomas was a prosperous farmer with a farm near Bustleton. The sampler, worked in silk on linen, is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted into a fine mahogany frame. Sampler size: 22 112" x 2PN'
Price: $18,000.
(detail) AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Louisa Warfield, Westminster, Carroll County, Maryland, 1835 Samplers from Maryland are currently the subject of a comprehensive study, the conclu ion of which will be an exhibition at the Maryland Historical Society entitled "Beyond Class and Culture: Maryland Schoolgirl Needlework 1738- 1860" with an accompanying book by curator Dr. Gloria eaman Allen. This sampler was made by Louisa Warfield whose ancestors had settl ed Anne Arundel County, Maryland by the 17th century; her sampler is listed in Dr. Allen's book. It is an interesting sampler, with religion playing a clear role in both the pictorial image and the verse. The sampler is dominated by a charming scene of a chapel with its bell tower, an elderly lady with a cane walking in front of the double doors and wide stairway. Small motifs of birds and a flower sprig as well as a fine border provide further embellishment. The daughter of Thomas and Mary (Sellman) Warfield of the town of Westminster in Carroll County, Louisa was born in 1822 and in 1839 married John Murray Yingling. The family remained in Westminster where John served as sheriff and mayor. They became the parents of five children and the celebration of their 50th wedding anniversary in 1889 was the subject of article in the local paper. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a 19th century gold frame. Sampler size: 15W' x 163/4''
Price: $5800.
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of: h-uman rate.
Bellev~ tht f'IC'ord true Come-and accept.'\ he proff erli nace For J e-o us d.ieJ. fotYt\u
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Patty Jameson, Dunbarton, New Hampshire, 1814
Samplers of southern New Hampshire are well-regarded for their strong depictions of flower baskets on hilly landscapes and the wide naturalistic borders of flowers on leafy vines that frame their compositions. Patty Jameson, age 12 years and living in Dunbarton, New Hampshire was working within this tradition. She signed her sampler, "Patty Jameson aged 12" and inscribed on her sampler the following poem, "This needle work of mine can tell I That I a child was learned well I That by my elders I was taught I ot to spend my time for naught." The appealing verse and free-form needlework of this sampler sets it apart from many. Dunbarton is a small town in Merrimack County, established in 1751 with inhabitants of primarily Scotch-Irish descent. Patty Jameson was born there in 1802, the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Healy) Jameson. We are hopeful that further research will reveal greater details regarding the samplermaker. Interesting to note is that it has been documented that a instructress, Mary Jameson, was teaching in Dunbarton in 1814 (see Glee Kruger's book, New England Samplers to 1840, page 192 for mention of a sampler owned by the New Hampshire Historical Society naming this teacher). Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a maple frame with a black bead. Sampler size: 16W' x 17"
Price: $11,000.
AMERicA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel ~ Daughter.
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Gentleman and his Falcon, Europe, circa 1750
Falconry, the use of trained hawks and falcons for hunting prey, was the sport of the gentry from earliest times forth. Royalty, notably Charles I, occasionally appears with a falcon on hand as a subject on early English needlework, but fully worked depictions such as this handsome example are highly unusual. The falconer sits on his magnificent horse with its splendid saddle and ornaments while his loyal dog follows behind. Notable details include the metallic decorations to the gentleman's clothing and boots, the horse's saddle and elaborate harness, and the dog's collar which is initialed "CW." A magnificent manor house with a domed roof, fountain and garden is equally specific in character lending the presumption that this was a specific depiction rather than a copy from a print source. The silk stitches cover the entire background lending rich and subtle shadings. It is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a black painted frame with a gilt liner. Size of the needlework: 11" x 16 1/4''
Price: $5200.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Sable Headwork, Coat of Arms, France, circa 1750 "Sable" is the French word for "sand" and was used to describe the mid 18th century technique of stitching extremely fine glass beads to form a picture or to decorate a small object such as a wallet or purse; the scale of the glass beads must have inspired the name. Examples of this work are in the collections of American and European museums and become available only rarely. We are very pleased to offer this fascinating sable picture which depicts the Chaix family coat of arms: a golden rampart lion wearing a crown of pearls, the entire piece surmounted itself by a jeweled crown. A pair of animated, graceful greyhounds provides support, as they stand on a lawn filled with little flowering plants, and a tight fleur-de-lis border surrounds the picture. Information that accompanies this piece indicates that the Chaix line can be traced to the 15th century and that prominent family members lived in the town of Sisteron, on the Durance River in Provence. This coat of arms was registered with the general armorial of the town in 1696. This picture is in excellent condition in its original carved and painted frame. Size of the picture: 7" x 9" Price: $6400.
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel & Daughter.
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Sarah Bewley, England, 1735 Sarah Bewley worked this impressive sampler, featuring on it the Ten Commandments as well as The Lord's Prayer, the latter in French, and finishing it on March 27, 1735, when she was eleven years old. Other biblical inscriptions were included as well as a pair of heralding angels, rows of strawberries and many other decorative devices of the period. The graceful vining border of flowers and berries that frames the sampler is typical of better samplers of this early period and offers much to admire. Miss Bewley drew the pattern in ink on the linen before beginning with her needlework and it should be noted that some of the stitching was not completed; of course we are able to know precisely what she planned to do. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in very good condition with some minor loss. It has been conservation mounted into its original black painted frame. Sampler size: 17" x 12"
Price: $4800.
HS, Motif Sampler, Holland, 1814 Dutch samplermakers often included an assortment of motifs that held specific meaning, and these designs are well-documented as to their significance. This fine sampler offers a lamb, signifying Youth and Innocence, a gate, signifying the Passage to the Road to Heaven, the pair of heralding angels signifying the Voice of God, the windmill, signifying Energy, Labor and Life, and the church with its obvious role, appearing here with a folky bird weathervane. These classic Dutch motifs are interspersed with baskets of fruit and flowers. Interesting to note is the alphabet with its varying iterations of letters. Dutch samplers are generally initialed rather than signed and the maker's initials appear on this sampler inside the wreath held by the angels, and the date is inside the blue cartouche at the bottom. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a black painted frame. Sampler size: 103/4'' x 10112'' Price: $2400.
M. Finkel & Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
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Ann Greatorex, England, 1841 Ann Greatorex completed this, her neatly worked little sampler, on November 30 of 1841. It features a balanced format with alphabets, miniature birds, stylized trees, pots of flowers and nine crowns or coronets, each with the initial of corresponding royalty: Earl, Prince, King, Duke, Queen, Princess, Viscount, Lord and Bishop. The Greatorex family traces its roots to at least the mid 13th century in Derbyshire, originating with the town Greteraches with the very early tradition of using place name as surname. The family was part of the Protestant gentry for centuries, owners of grand estates in the area. By the 19th century the family lived in many different towns throughout England. Worked in silk on linen, it is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a later 19th frame. Sampler size: 8314'' x 9W' Price: $2200.
Roman Catholic Orphan Asylum, probably New York, circa 1850 This interesting little sampler, inscribed, "Worked by an Orphan," was made at one of the Roman Catholic Orphan Asylums, circa 1850. The first American orphanage was established in New Orleans in 1727 and by the middle of the 19th century the majority of these institutions were run by the Catholic Church and many were in New York City. Young girls at the orphanages were taught to be exceptional needleworkers and their samplers were considered an indication of their ability. Interestingly another orphanage sampler, worked in Bristol, England, is offered in this catalogue on page 15. The central composition is a tightly arranged grouping of densely shaded images with significance to Catholicism including the cross, chalice, heart, and initials INRI ("Iesus Nazerenus Rex Iudeorum" meaning "Jesus of Nazareth King of the Jews"). The border is formed of large clusters of flowers in the Berlin-work style. Worked in silk on linen, the sampler is in excellent condition and has been conservation mounted into a cherry frame. Sampler size: llW' x 83J4'' AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Price: $1400.
M. Finkel 6j Daughter.
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SELECTED NEEDLEWORK BIBLIOGRAPHY Allen, Gloria Seaman. Family Record Genealogical Watercolors and Needlework. Washington, DC: DAR Museum, 1989. Bolton, Ethel Stanwood and Coe, Eve Johnston. American Samplers. Boston: The Massachusetts Society of the Colonial Dames of America, 1921. Brooke, Xanthe. Catalogue of Embroideries. The Lady Lever Art Gallery. Alan Sutton Publishing Inc., 1992 Edmonds, Mary Jaene. Samplers and Samplermakers, An American Schoolgirl Art 1700-1850. New York: Rizzoli, 1991. Herr, Patricia T. The Ornamental Branches, Needlework and Art from the Lititz Moravian Girls' School Between 1800 and 1865. The Heritage Center Museum of Lancaster County, Pa, 1996. Epstein, Kathy. British Embroidery: Curious Works from the Seventeenth Century. Colonial Williamsburg and Curious Works Press, 1998. Hersh, Tandy and Charles. Samplers of the Pennsylvania Germans. Birdsboro, PA: Pennsylvania German Society, 1991. Humphrey, Carol. Samplers, Fitzwilliam Museum Handbooks. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press, 1997. Ivey, Kimberly Smith. In the Neatest Manner: The Making of the Virginia Sampler Tradition. Colonial Williamsburg and Curious Works Press, 1997. Krueger, Glee F. A Gallery of American Samplers: The Theodore H. Kapnek Collection. New York: E.P. Dutton, 1978. New England Samplers to 1840. Sturbridge, Massachusetts: Old Sturbridge Village, 1978. Ring, Betty. American Needlework Treasures.
New York: E.P. Dutton, 1987.
Girlhood Embroidery: American Samplers & Pictorial Needlework, 1650-1850. Knopf, 1993. Let Virtue be a Guide to Thee: Needlework in the Education of Rhode Island Women, 1730-1820. Providence: The Rhode Island Historical Society, 1983. Schiffer, Margaret B. Historical Needlework of Pennsylvania. New York: Charles Scribner's Sons, 1968. Schorsch, Anita. Mourning Becomes America: Mourning Art in the New Nation. Clinton, New Jersey: The Main Street Press, 1976. Staples Epstein, Kathy and Tinley, Lynn. "Some Honest Worke in Hand ... " English Samplers from the Seventeenth Century. Greenville, South Carolina, 2001. This Have I Done: Samplers and Embroideries from Charleston and the Lowcountry. Curious Works Press and the Charleston Museum, 2002. Studebaker, Sue. Ohio Samplers, School Girl Embroideries 1803-1850. Warren County Historical Society, 1988. Ohio Is My Dwelling Place. Ohio: Ohio University Press, 2002. Swan, Susan B. Plain and Fancy: American Women and Their Needlework, 1700-1850. New York: Holt, Rinehart and Winston, 1977.
M. Finkel ~ Daughter. AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
Conservation Mounting of Antique Samplers and Needlework Because of the important role that condition plays in the field of antique samplers and needlework, we strive to insure that these pieces undergo proper preservation while in our care. Below is a step-by-step description of the "conservation mounting" process. Our techniques are simple and straightforward; we remove the dust and dirt particles mechanically, never wet-cleaning the textiles. We use only acid-free materials and museum-approved techniques throughout the process. Please call us if you have any questions in this regard. 0
Carefully clean the piece using our special vacuum process.
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Mount it by means of hand-sewing onto acid-free museum board that has been slip-cased with fabric appropriate to the piece itself, and at the same time stabilize any holes or weak areas.
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Re-fit the item back into its original frame, or custom-make a reproduction of an 18th or early 19th century frame using one of our exclusive patterns.
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Supply a reverse painted black glass mat, if appropriate, done in correct antique manner.
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When necessary, install TruVue Conservation Clear glass which blocks 97% of the harmful ultraviolet light.
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In the framing process, the needlework is properly spaced away from the glass, the wooden frame is sealed, and the dust cover is attached with special archival tape.
detail of sampler by Edna Stubbs, England, 1828, p. 9
AMERICA's LEADING sAMPLER AND NEEDLEwoRK DEALER
M. Finkel e:s Daughter.
detail of sampler by Elizabeth Anderson, Scotland, circa 1800, p. 22
detail of sampler by Patty Jameson, New Hampshire, circa 1814, p. 25
est. 1947
M.Finkel e:s Daughter. AMERICA'S LEADING ANTIQUE SAMPLER & NEEDLEWORK DEALER
936 Pine Street. Philadelphia. Pennsylvania. 19107-6128 215-627-7797.800-598-7432. fax 215-627-8199 www.samplings.com