Samplers and More from the National Museum of Sweden

The National Museum of Sweden has a wonderful on-line collection of textiles for you to browse, including some lovely samplers - two examples of which you see here. Just click here for the link and then when you see the search screen look for Titel: and enter Märkduk in the box, next go down to the bottom of the page and click on the button marked Sök. This first sampler is dated 1788 and has a main panel with a garland above Joshua and Caleb, the spies of Canaan, which is surrounded by 10 needlepont infills including Bargello or Florentine/Irish stitch.
This second sampler displays the Spies of Canaan, too, together with initials in garlanded, crowned cartouches. This style of cartouche is also found on Danish and North German and Dutch samplers, though we have to be careful to remember that the boundaries of these countries were different in the past to what they are now and we should seek out the exact boundaries at the time of sampler dates to judge more precisely their nationality, always allowing, of course, for the movement of trading families and teachers across boundaries.

Working with Mary Brooks on the new Needleprint book of 17th century samplers and stitched pictures, I was very much drawn to these images of 18th century stitched art to contrast with the Stuart needlework exemplars.
And this one made me smile! I hope you have fun in your searches. If you would like a wider search term, then just enter broderi in the box next to Titel.