Beautiful Dutch and Mexican Samplers For Auction @ James D Julia, Maine, USA * 20 August 2013

There are some lovely samplers for auction at James Julia in Maine, including these Dutch and Mexican examples. For more details of the samplers shown here and the other samplers in the auction, click here. This first above is Lot 2093 and comprises 2 pieces. The first is a needlework of the British Isles signed: Ann Field her work Feb 1, 1819. The second, shown here, is a Dutch pictorial needlework sampler wrought by CATHARINA FLUITER OUD 16 JAAR (aged 16) - and displays Catholic symbols of the Instruments of the Passion, the Pelican in Her Piety and altar crosses and monstrance. The starting price for the two pieces is: $900 and the estimate is: $1,800 - $2,200.

Lot 2415 is 18th century Dutch and is wrought with floral filled urns, scrolling floral vinery, fruit trees and animals. There is a polychrome cartouche in which is woven: ADH 1783. All above a row of houses and windmill alternating with human figures. The alphabet at the base includes the text: WAS TWAALF IAAR OUDT (was 12 years old). The condition of the sampler is structurally sound though the linen ground has some foxing and spotting. The starting price is: $500 and the estimate: $1,000 - $1,500.

Lot 2420 is a 19th century pictorial sampler of 1815, probably Dutch. Wrought overall with floral filled urns and flowering trees interspersed with birds and other animals, also with children at play, the Spies of Canaan and a young woman transporting buckets of water, etc. Wrought at the bottom within the scrolling floral border is: OUD 14 IAREN (14 years old) ANNO 1815. Mounted in a bird`s eye maple frame it measures approximately 15" x 15". The  starting price is: $400 and the estimate: $800 - $1,200.

Lot 2429 is a group of 5 Mexican 19th century samplers from a fine Augusta, Maine Estate. Two are very good, three have varying degrees of loss to the stitchery. Each is mounted beneath an eglomise panel within a molded gilt frame. The starting price for this lot is: $600 and the estimate: $1,200 - $1,800.

Sir Christopher Hatton's Blackwork Collars

It was by chance that I can across a rather splendid image of Sir Christopher Hatton during some researches. Sir Christopher Hatton (1540 – 20 November 1591) was an English politician, Lord Chancellor of England and a favourite of Elizabeth I of England. I simply had to remark on his wonderful black work collar embroidered with delicately coiling flowers within a bold saw-tooth border - the whole collar edged with very fine lace. And at that point, I broke off what I was doing to go in search of other images of Sir Christopher to see if he might have any other collars of note.

And I next came across this very beautiful example set with floral sprigs as if an illustration for some herbal or nurseryman's book.

And in this case, it wasn't simply collar - but also cuffs to match.

I subsequently found two more images, though the resolution is quite poor, it did prove that Sir Christopher had something of a penchant for blackwork embroidered collars. The collar above resembles the one previously shown, though is different. And the one below, by comparison, exhibits more formal and geometric designs. Perhaps you know of other images?

Five Colleges & Historic Deerfield Samplers On-Line

Historic Deerfield, together with the five colleges: Amherst, Hampshire, Mount Holyoke, Smith and UMASS Amherst have their collections on line for you to enjoy. The sampler above is by Sarah Bradstreet and was worked in 1754. Sarah Bradstreet (b.1741) was the daughter of Samuel Bradstreet (1711-1755) and Sarah Foster (1718-1802) of Charleston, Massachusetts, who married in 1738; and the great granddaughter of Simon Bradstreet (1603-1697), the first Governor of the Colony in 1679, appointed by Charles II. A related embroidery survives in the Old South Meeting House in Boston, stitched by Dorothy Lynde in 1757.

Mary Anne Cockells worked this sampler in 1790 and it is very interesting because there are at least 5 other known samplers worked in this format. One is in the Micheál and Elizabeth Feller Collection.

Rebecca Reed worked this sampler in 1784 aged 11. To see the collection click here and enter Sampler in the search box.

Adam & Eve & The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers

Adam and Eve, exiled from Paradise, often find themselves cosily relocated on many school girl samplers. It has always been something of a small wonder to me that their mostly unclothed bodies have been worked with consummate care by innocent young girls. How can this be? One answer maybe that Adam and Eve feature on the coats of arms of The Worshipful Company of Needlemakers - needlemaking being said to date from the time of Adam and Eve when they sewed fig leaves to clothe their nakedness. The Needlemakers shield which appears in the coat-of-arms was in use from the time when the company was granted livery in 1656. It appears on the head of the Beadle’s staff which dates from circa 1700 and presents three needles surmounted by coronets. One of the treasures of the company is a magnificent silver statuette of Dorcas (or Tabitha) which is always placed on the table before the Master at formal dinners. (Dorcas was a member of the early Christian community in Joppa, now Jaffa, an ancient seaport of Judea. She was noted for her acts of charity, in particular for making garments and giving them to needy widows.) The raising of charitable funds is one of the core objectives of the Company today. Click here for more details.