Barbara Haringman's Work in the Historic Museum of Bevelanden, Netherlands

This series of beautiful stitching comes from the needle of Barbara Haringman, a thirteen year old girl who lived in Zeeland in the Netherlands. The items were worked in 1770 and 1771. Thanks to her family who kept her work carefully in a chest which was passed down the generations from mother to daughter, her work has survived in an astonishing well-preserved state to this day. Last year at auction the items were put up for sale and the Historic Museum in Bevelanden, Goes (between Middleburg and Bergen op Zoom in the south Netherlands) acquired four pieces. Here you can see the sampler. Look for the ship and ploughman, Joshua and Caleb - the spies of Canaan laden with grapes, the linen chest or marriage chest, and the notorious spinning monkey. The bird cage is a wonderful image - click here to download a JGG charted extract of the cage. (Remember to save and not open the image which can only be opened with your Cross Stitch Designer software.)


The richness of this tapestry work, and silk and silk embroidery is peerless. Are some of elements embroidered here destined for shoes or slippers, do you think?