Sampler
EmbroidererEmbroidered by
Susan Olcott
American, about 1780 - 1806
Date1791
MediumEmbroidery; silk threads on a plain-woven, undyed linen ground
DimensionsPrimary Dimensions (height x width): 10 1/4 x 7 1/4in. (26 x 18.4cm)
ClassificationsTextiles
Credit LineGift of George H. Gilman, Jr.
DescriptionMarking sampler worked in medium blue, black, medium browns, cream, mint, red, and gray silk threads on a plain-woven linen ground in cross and other stitches. The sampler is rectangular, oriented vertically. It is laid out with three rows of one alphabet, over an inscription, over the numbers 1 through 10, over an inscription. The first inscription is "SUSEY OLCOtt/ in the 14 Year/ Of her age/ 1791". The second inscription is, in initial caps, "Beauty is vain/ Their prety eyes may rol/ Charm strikes the/ Sight but merit/ twains the soul". There is a vertical marker between the numbers 1-5 and 6-10. Certain lines of alphabets, numbers, and text are separated by various narrow borders. There is some practice stitching in the bottom section. There is a four-sided border.
The sampler has a 3/16-inch double-turned hem on both side edges and the bottom edge, and a selvedge on the top edge. The sampler is not framed.
Letters and Numbers: There is one alphabet and the numbers 1-10. The letters in the alphabet are uppercase block. The letter J is not present; the letter U is present. The letters U and V are reversed. The "10" is shown as "01". "may rol" is placed immediately above "eyes"; the "e" in "the" is above the "h" in "the".
Stitches: The principal stitch on the sampler is cross over two threads; it is also worked in cross over one thread, eyelet, and Algerian eye stitches.
Condition: There is at least one hole and some mended areas. There is some green colored thread sewn through the ground at "Beauty is vain". The sampler has minimal fading. The sampler is not framed.
The sampler has a 3/16-inch double-turned hem on both side edges and the bottom edge, and a selvedge on the top edge. The sampler is not framed.
Letters and Numbers: There is one alphabet and the numbers 1-10. The letters in the alphabet are uppercase block. The letter J is not present; the letter U is present. The letters U and V are reversed. The "10" is shown as "01". "may rol" is placed immediately above "eyes"; the "e" in "the" is above the "h" in "the".
Stitches: The principal stitch on the sampler is cross over two threads; it is also worked in cross over one thread, eyelet, and Algerian eye stitches.
Condition: There is at least one hole and some mended areas. There is some green colored thread sewn through the ground at "Beauty is vain". The sampler has minimal fading. The sampler is not framed.
Object number1981.119.2
MarkingsTranscription of text lines:"ABCDEFGHIKLMNOPQRS/ TVUWXYZ/ SUSEY OLCOtt/ in the 14 Year/ Of her age/ 1791/ Beauty is vain/ Their prety [sic] eyes may rol [sic]/ Charm strikes the/ Sight but merit/ twains the soul".NotesSource Note: The verse on the sampler is taken from The Rape of the Lock: An Heroi-Comical Poem (Part 5), written in 1712 by poet Alexander Pope (1688-1744): "Beauties in vain their pretty Eyes may roll; Charms strike the Sight, but Merit wins the Soul." The poem is based on the real-life event of a British nobleman, Lord Petre, cutting a lock of hair off the beautiful Arabella Fermor. A battle between their families ensued. (Hunt 11/1/2007)
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