Victorian Sampler, 1851, by Mary James

Object Description

Victorian Sampler, 1851, by Mary James. The sampler is worked in silk threads on a linen ground. Meandering floral border with elaborate floral motifs in the four corners. Colours green, blue, gold, silver, brown and pink. Signed and dated, ‘Mary James 1851’, worked in coloured beads. A wonderful set of motifs, some finely embroidered, including a butterfly, blossoming trees, birds, a church, a flower basket, flowers growing up a trellis, a duck and hanging fruit. Framed in an old, possibly original, wood frame with rippled, old glass. Mounting: The sampler is stitched to linen and stretched over a wooden board. Frame backed with wood and sealed with tape. Dimensions exclude the frame and slip.

Object Condition

Good. Two small holes outside the border edge. A well-backed hole in the bottom left corner. Small piece of debris behind the glass. No stains. No stitch losses. Colours are all good and strong with no noticeable fading. No colour run. Stretching is very slightly uneven. Frame with small piece of veneer chipped off in the corner and showing slight wear, otherwise sound.

Object Details