Scottish Silk On Linen Victorian Spot Motif Sampler Circa 1840-1860 Possible Experimental Piece
A better price may be available. Please enquire below.
Description
A vibrant, folksy, sampler in superb condition. Very skilful, fine stitch work. Multiple, unusual & diverse motifs including a lion, heart, stag, windmill & man in traditional dress. Excellent provenance linked to Bath, UK & Scotland (open-tailed peacock motifs). The blank space, partial motifs & slightly disorganised feel suggest an experimental piece. Ebonised period oak frame.
Additional Comments
The style & provenance of this silk on white linen, band & motif sampler places it firmly as mid-19th Century. It includes two bands of letters but the dominant feature as discussed above are the motifs. Various birds have also been stitched including two open-tailed peacocks which are very characteristic of Scottish samplers. The stitcher has also included what appears to be some practice incomplete borders (e.g. the strawberry border top left) & there is a blank section to the bottom left: these two elements, plus the somewhat randomly organised feel to the work, suggests it may have been a practice or experimental piece. In terms of provenance, this sampler originated from a small private antique fabric and textile sale – to which a reputable dealer friend was invited (late 2021) - executed by the descendants of the Reverend Charles Kemble (1819-1894). Many ‘right’ pieces were offered including some very early clothing & textiles which had apparently been stored out of sunlight by the family for generations. Reverend Kemble resided in ‘Vellore’, Bath (now The Bath Hotel & Spa) & was especially noted for commissioning in 1869 the prolific English Gothic Revival Architect Sir George Gilbert Scott to restore Bath Abbey. Given its circa 180 years of age, its condition is remarkable: it is totally undamaged with minimal age discolouration and fantastic, enduring vivid colours.
Conservation & Restoration
This delightful sampler was sold to us unframed. We have prepared it for sale by removing the surface dust using a conservation vacuum clearer. It has then been stitched onto complementary fresh linen which rests on cotton wadding glued to an acid free mount. All components of the especially sourced period frame have been thoroughly cleaned & waxed. Finally, the sampler has been re-presented in its frame behind a wooden backing secured by period steel panel nails & sealed with self-adhesive picture framing tape. The piece is ready to hang using new (double) picture string attached to the original period eyes.
Framed Dimensions (W, H & D): 32x53x3cm
Ref: S35
A better price may be available. Please enquire below.
Description
A vibrant, folksy, sampler in superb condition. Very skilful, fine stitch work. Multiple, unusual & diverse motifs including a lion, heart, stag, windmill & man in traditional dress. Excellent provenance linked to Bath, UK & Scotland (open-tailed peacock motifs). The blank space, partial motifs & slightly disorganised feel suggest an experimental piece. Ebonised period oak frame.
Additional Comments
The style & provenance of this silk on white linen, band & motif sampler places it firmly as mid-19th Century. It includes two bands of letters but the dominant feature as discussed above are the motifs. Various birds have also been stitched including two open-tailed peacocks which are very characteristic of Scottish samplers. The stitcher has also included what appears to be some practice incomplete borders (e.g. the strawberry border top left) & there is a blank section to the bottom left: these two elements, plus the somewhat randomly organised feel to the work, suggests it may have been a practice or experimental piece. In terms of provenance, this sampler originated from a small private antique fabric and textile sale – to which a reputable dealer friend was invited (late 2021) - executed by the descendants of the Reverend Charles Kemble (1819-1894). Many ‘right’ pieces were offered including some very early clothing & textiles which had apparently been stored out of sunlight by the family for generations. Reverend Kemble resided in ‘Vellore’, Bath (now The Bath Hotel & Spa) & was especially noted for commissioning in 1869 the prolific English Gothic Revival Architect Sir George Gilbert Scott to restore Bath Abbey. Given its circa 180 years of age, its condition is remarkable: it is totally undamaged with minimal age discolouration and fantastic, enduring vivid colours.
Conservation & Restoration
This delightful sampler was sold to us unframed. We have prepared it for sale by removing the surface dust using a conservation vacuum clearer. It has then been stitched onto complementary fresh linen which rests on cotton wadding glued to an acid free mount. All components of the especially sourced period frame have been thoroughly cleaned & waxed. Finally, the sampler has been re-presented in its frame behind a wooden backing secured by period steel panel nails & sealed with self-adhesive picture framing tape. The piece is ready to hang using new (double) picture string attached to the original period eyes.
Framed Dimensions (W, H & D): 32x53x3cm
Ref: S35
A better price may be available. Please enquire below.
Description
A vibrant, folksy, sampler in superb condition. Very skilful, fine stitch work. Multiple, unusual & diverse motifs including a lion, heart, stag, windmill & man in traditional dress. Excellent provenance linked to Bath, UK & Scotland (open-tailed peacock motifs). The blank space, partial motifs & slightly disorganised feel suggest an experimental piece. Ebonised period oak frame.
Additional Comments
The style & provenance of this silk on white linen, band & motif sampler places it firmly as mid-19th Century. It includes two bands of letters but the dominant feature as discussed above are the motifs. Various birds have also been stitched including two open-tailed peacocks which are very characteristic of Scottish samplers. The stitcher has also included what appears to be some practice incomplete borders (e.g. the strawberry border top left) & there is a blank section to the bottom left: these two elements, plus the somewhat randomly organised feel to the work, suggests it may have been a practice or experimental piece. In terms of provenance, this sampler originated from a small private antique fabric and textile sale – to which a reputable dealer friend was invited (late 2021) - executed by the descendants of the Reverend Charles Kemble (1819-1894). Many ‘right’ pieces were offered including some very early clothing & textiles which had apparently been stored out of sunlight by the family for generations. Reverend Kemble resided in ‘Vellore’, Bath (now The Bath Hotel & Spa) & was especially noted for commissioning in 1869 the prolific English Gothic Revival Architect Sir George Gilbert Scott to restore Bath Abbey. Given its circa 180 years of age, its condition is remarkable: it is totally undamaged with minimal age discolouration and fantastic, enduring vivid colours.
Conservation & Restoration
This delightful sampler was sold to us unframed. We have prepared it for sale by removing the surface dust using a conservation vacuum clearer. It has then been stitched onto complementary fresh linen which rests on cotton wadding glued to an acid free mount. All components of the especially sourced period frame have been thoroughly cleaned & waxed. Finally, the sampler has been re-presented in its frame behind a wooden backing secured by period steel panel nails & sealed with self-adhesive picture framing tape. The piece is ready to hang using new (double) picture string attached to the original period eyes.
Framed Dimensions (W, H & D): 32x53x3cm
Ref: S35