Samplers
EmbroidererEmbroidered by
Sarah Spencer
(American, 1774 - 1843)
MediumLinen thread on plain-weave undyed linen
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions: 19 1/2 x 15 1/2in. (49.5 x 39.4cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineThe Newman S. Hungerford Museum Fund
Object number2008.66.1
Description[Sarah Spencer, Hartford, 1774-1843
made 1783 age 9]
made 1783 age 9]
Label TextSarah Spencer’s simple design includes only uppercase letters, small stars,
and a zigzag border. Working on a relatively fine linen ground, she filled
the center of her oversize canvas with six hundred characters, including
one alphabet, four verses, and a date inscription. Her sampler is worked
entirely in dark blue linen cross-stitches, with no horizontal dividers
between lines, and every letter a nearly consistent height. The result is a
striking graphic composition, recalling a page of printed display type or
an early tombstone—the latter association strengthened by her numerous
references to graves, cold clay, and rotten bones. The sampler’s size, precise
layout, careful stitching, and prominent four-sided border suggest that it
was a display piece, intended to be framed and hung as home decoration.
and a zigzag border. Working on a relatively fine linen ground, she filled
the center of her oversize canvas with six hundred characters, including
one alphabet, four verses, and a date inscription. Her sampler is worked
entirely in dark blue linen cross-stitches, with no horizontal dividers
between lines, and every letter a nearly consistent height. The result is a
striking graphic composition, recalling a page of printed display type or
an early tombstone—the latter association strengthened by her numerous
references to graves, cold clay, and rotten bones. The sampler’s size, precise
layout, careful stitching, and prominent four-sided border suggest that it
was a display piece, intended to be framed and hung as home decoration.
Status
Not on view
