Sampler
EmbroidererEmbroidered by
Elizabeth Belden
(American, 1783 - 1887)
DateSeptember 1792
MediumEmbroidery; silk thread on a plain-woven, undyed linen ground
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width): 15 1/2 x 11in. (39.4 x 27.9cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of Richard S. Buck
Object number1972.60.0
DescriptionSampler worked in dark blue, dark green, light blue, pink, rust, black, khaki, medium brown, light brown, yellow, dark brown, and purple silk threads on a plain-woven undyed linen ground, using cross stitches. The sampler is rectangular, oriented vertically. It is laid out with four rows of two alphabets and the numbers 1 through 16, over three inscriptions, over a horizontal vine and flower design at the bottom. The first inscription is a verse, "THIS NEEDLE WORK OF MINE/ CAN TELL WHEN I WAS YOUNG/ LEARNED WELL AND BY MY/ ELDERS I [W]AS TAUGHT NOT TO / SPEND MY TIME FOR NAUGHT". The second inscription is "I Thank My Dear Friends/ For their Care in my Breeding/ Who Taught M[e] Betimes/ To love Working and Reading". The third inscription is "Elizabeth Belden's Sampler/ Made In the 9th year of/ her age September 1792". There are several small diamonds. There are vertical lines after the first alphabet. The lines of alphabets, numbers, and text are separated by various straight narrow borders. The sampler has a four-side narrow border.
The sampler has a 3/16-inch double-turned hem on the top, bottom and left side, and a selvedge on the right side. The sampler is not framed or permanently mounted. It is encased in a covered mat.
Letters and Numbers: There are two alphabets and the numbers 1-16. The letters are uppercase block in alphabet 1 and lowercase block in alphabet 2. The letter J is missing from both alphabets; the letter U is present in both alphabets. The letter A is repeated in the first alphabet. The letters UV are shown as VU in alphabet 1. Except in one instance, all lowercase letters with descenders, such as 'g', are placed so the descender does not extend below the baseline. The lowercase letters in the verse are styled as uppercase letters.
Stitches: It is not clear whether the D in alphabet 1 was ever stitched. There is some stitch loss, possibly to the D in alphabet 1, E, and some various letters in the inscriptions. The principal stitch on the sampler is cross stitch (over two); it also includes cross (over one), queen, herringbone and rice stitches. In the first two inscriptions each word is worked in a different color. The third inscription is worked in one color.
Condition: The sampler has light to moderate fading, depending on the color. There is a hole in the center of the sampler. The sampler is not framed or permanently mounted. It is encased in a covered mat.
The sampler has a 3/16-inch double-turned hem on the top, bottom and left side, and a selvedge on the right side. The sampler is not framed or permanently mounted. It is encased in a covered mat.
Letters and Numbers: There are two alphabets and the numbers 1-16. The letters are uppercase block in alphabet 1 and lowercase block in alphabet 2. The letter J is missing from both alphabets; the letter U is present in both alphabets. The letter A is repeated in the first alphabet. The letters UV are shown as VU in alphabet 1. Except in one instance, all lowercase letters with descenders, such as 'g', are placed so the descender does not extend below the baseline. The lowercase letters in the verse are styled as uppercase letters.
Stitches: It is not clear whether the D in alphabet 1 was ever stitched. There is some stitch loss, possibly to the D in alphabet 1, E, and some various letters in the inscriptions. The principal stitch on the sampler is cross stitch (over two); it also includes cross (over one), queen, herringbone and rice stitches. In the first two inscriptions each word is worked in a different color. The third inscription is worked in one color.
Condition: The sampler has light to moderate fading, depending on the color. There is a hole in the center of the sampler. The sampler is not framed or permanently mounted. It is encased in a covered mat.
Status
Not on view
