Needlework Sampler, Silk Embroidery On Linen, 1815

Needlework Sampler
Silk embroidery on linen, initialled J.B.S. and dated 1815, framed.
Measures - 66 cm x 67 cm 
An early nineteenth century needlework sampler worked in coloured silks on linen, featuring rows of alphabets and numbers above a field of decorative motifs including birds, trees, houses, animals and pastoral scenes. Samplers such as this were traditionally produced by young girls as part of their domestic education, serving both as a record of stitches learned and as a personal keepsake. The present example, dated 1815 and worked with a delicate palette of blues and greens, reflects the folk decorative traditions of northern European needlework from the period.