17th Century Long English Sampler
±At the Cleveland Museum of Art
±Circa 1650-70
±Embroidery: silk on linen tabby
ground
±Overall: 59.4 x 17.5 cm (23 3/8 x
6 7/8 in.)
±The Mary Pack McNairy Collection
1942.506
±“Long samplers from England in
the 1600s often reproduced or adapted designs from earlier pattern books for
needlework.” (Cleveland Museum of Art)
"Long samplers from England in the 1600s often reproduced or adapted
designs from earlier pattern books for needlework. Samplers were created
as a mark of achievement in needlework by young ladies as they
progressed in their education. Because they display levels of skill and
technique, samplers often include figurative or scenic decoration along
with the alphabet and various horizontal and vertical patterns that
could serve as guides for future stitching. Most samplers reveal the
pride of a young lady as she showed off her considerable accomplishment
in sewing and were treasured from generation to generation." (Cleveland
Museum of Art)
