#6745                                                                                                          Dutch Sampler
                                                        

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15 3/4" x 18 3/4".   20 1/4" x 23 1/4 " including a possibly original frame.  This wonderful and very early sampler is typically Dutch in every way.  The stately reclining stag that is a focal point in the center of the sampler is a motif frequently seen on needlework from the Netherlands.   The house with the stairstep roof is typical of the houses we still see in Amsterdam today.   The "spies of canaan", the crowned lady (queen?) in the striped skirt, the florals, the chairs, the gentleman carrying two buckets are all motifs that we associate with Dutch samplers.         

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The scene at the top of the sampler is particularly lovely.  There is the crowned lady surrounded by a fence, with flowers and two really beautiful and regal peacocks.   Inter- estingly, there is another totally different type of peacock motif near the date of the sampler.  It is, of course, dated 1781.  There are also birds, windmills, a basket of fruit, a couple of owls, and two more small figures near the house.                                                                                                                                                  

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The condition of this beautiful sampler is quite good.   There are no holes in the fabric and the silks are still vibrant.  There  is no bleeding and no losses to the silk.  There are, however, several light spots on the sampler.  I believe these to be the result of someone attempting to clean the sampler with a harsh soap or chemical, but while they are noticable, the fabric is still strong and undamaged.  The frame is missing a bit of veneer in the upper corners.  The sampler has been mounted on acid-free board.                             $2150.00

                                                                         #6744                                                                                                    Margaret Coyle Sampler
                                                        

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18 3/4" x 21 1/2".   23 1/2" x 26 1/2 " including a gorgeous  and possibly original bird's eye maple frame.  This sampler is, quite simply, stunning!  Margaret was only eleven years old when she stitched this exquisite pictoral sampler.   The floral garland complete with silk tassels and two cherubs is wonderful and beautifully stitched as well.  The incredible farmyard scene shows an amazing amount of texture and is truly a work of art.   I believe that the tree is worked in chenille.   There are two women and four men harvesting hay in the field, another man shepherding the livestock and another gentleman carrying a basket walking up the path to the very elegant house.  In the distance we see a windmill.  The fine detail is amazing.  Marga- ret finished her gorgeous sampler with a delicate honeysuckle vine border.          

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Her verse reads:

Watch oer my Lips and guard them Lord
From every rash and heedless word
Nor let my feet incline to tread
The guilty Path were Sinners lead".                                                                                                                                                                                   

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There are a couple of holes in the sampler, most noticably between the right side of the garland and the verse, the center of the verse and just to the left of the hill on the right side.   There is also a bit of bleeding in the verse area, but the silks are still showing lovely color and quite a bit of their sheen.   The sampler has been mounted on another piece of linen and framed with acid-free board.   The frame has lost its veneer on the top edge.                                                                                                                                                                                                    $4250.00

                                                                         #6741                                                                                                  Sarah Ann Burrows Sampler
                                                        

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12 1/2" x 16 1/2".   15 1/4" x 18 3/4 " including a modern frame.   This charming sampler was stitched by an eight year old child.   It is circa 1860.   It has a whimsical look that is quite appealing, especially given the very young age of the stitcher.  Sarah Ann stitched alphabets and numbers followed by a verse and her signature.   But, undoubtedly my favorite part of the sampler is Sarah Ann's wonderful trees.  It is fairly unusual to find trees worked entirely in satin stitch, and these are exception- al.  Her fat little birds are worked in stripes of four different colors and she surrounds her sampler in an a large border of rosebuds.       

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Her verse reads:

" Jesus permit thy gracious name to stand
As the first efforts of an infants hand
And while my fingers oer this canvass move
Engage her tender heart to seek thy love".
She signed her sampler "Sarah Ann Burrows Ae. 8 yrs".                                                                                                                                                 

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Sarah Ann's sweet sampler has three stains in the verse area, as well as two darns in the fabric also in the verse area.   One is just above the word "this" and the other is just above the word "heart".  The first alphabet is a bit faded but there are no losses to the silk and no bleeding.   There are no holes other than the two darned areas, so the fabric is quite strong.  The sampler has been mounted on acid-free board.                                                                                 $875.00

                                                                         #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.                                                                                                                                                                                                                               $4800.00

                                                                         #6627                                                                                                      Eliza Coggs Sampler
                                              

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12 1/2" x 19".   17 1/2" x 24 " including the original frame.   Eliza's stunning sampler is an amazingly realistic pictoral of a boy and girl holding on to a dog.  The young girl appears to be holding the boy back from the dog.   So, there you have it - sibling rivalry even on a sampler!   The children are wearing period clothing and are surrounded with a lovely garden scene.   There is a house seen in the distance.  

Above the children, we see more wonderful florals and an absolutely stunning bird (a peacock, I think).   The entire scene is surrounded with a beautifully ornate border of foliage.     

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                                                                                                         The sampler is signed, " Eliza Coggs  Her Work   Aged 12   1850".   The use of color and shading and the realism displayed is quite wonderful.  While done in the style of a needlepoint picture, Eliza stitched her sampler using silk on linen, which makes it a cross over to a sampler instead of a needlepoint picture.   This is a charming and very unusual piece of needle art.                                                                                                                                                            

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The condition of Eliza's lovely needlework is very good.   There are two small holes in the left center border area and some overall darkening of the fabric inside of the border area.  But the silks are still vibrant and there is no thread loss at all.  The sampler has been mounted on acid-free mounting board and put back into its original frame.                                                                                                                                                                                                          $3650.00