2 Norfolk School Samplers For Auction & More

It is very interesting to see not one but two Norfolk School samplers for auction in the neighbouring county of Suffolk. At Clarke & Simpson's 27 November 2013 auction, is Lot 311 - a typical stepped lozenge sampler, having a characteristic band of lions and stepping deer in octagonal cartouches, worked by Lydia Banham at age 10 in 1821. This work has an estimate of £350 - £450. Please be aware though that Clarke and Simpson's seem to have mixed up the description of this lot with their Lot 310 which is described below. If you are planning to bid, take time to clarify with the auctioneers which sampler you are bidding for.

Lot 310 is not quite so typical of the Norfolk school, but it does present characteristic alphabet types and the band of octagonal cartouches arranged differently to Lydia's. This sampler was worked by Martha Gaze and is dated 1829. The estimate for this sampler is £500 - £600. Again take care because the catalogue confuses these two samplers. For more details of the auction, click here. And for lovers of Norfolk School samplers you can be treated to many more beautiful examples in Joanne Lukacher's splendid book Imitation and Improvement, published by In The Company of Friends. Click on the image for details of how to purchase.

Rogers Jones & Co, Cardiff are holding their auction on 26 November 2013. Here is Lot 423 - an early 19th Century child`s sampler featuring birds, animals, buildings and trees, signed Mary Ann Cooper, aged 14, August 7th 1840. It measures 19.5 x 12.5 ins (50 x 32 cms) and has an estimate of £150 - £200.

At the same Rogers Jones & Co auction is Lot 69 - another early 19th century child’s needlework sampler in the traditional pictorial and poetic style, this sampler is signed, Jane Martins work done at M Whites aged 9, 1823. It measure 17 x 13ins and has an estimate of £100 - £150. For more details of the above samplers, click here.

I find this sampler, which is for auction at Chorleys of Cheltenham on 28 November 2013 rather interesting for the simple fact that it depicts a cluster of buildings more usually seen on Stuart embroidered panels and here has them labelled as King Pharoah's Palace. I would dearly love to know by what sequence of visual and verbal Mondegreens that came about! It is Lot 436 and was worked by Mary Ann Chandler. It has an estimate of £200 - £300. For more details of this auction, click here.And for those unfamiliar with the word Mondegreen - it is a mishearing and comes from one of my favourite Scottish folk songs about the Bonnie Earl of Moray, which includes the words: Ye Highlands and ye Lowlands, Oh, where hae ye been? They hae slain the Earl O' Moray, And LAID HIM ON THE GREEN (misheard as LADY MONDEGREEN). You can listen to the clip below - and admire those knitted jumpers!