1827 Elizabeth Stonard aged 8 years English sampler

Elizabeth Stonard was only 8 years old when she stitched this lovely, classic English sampler. The work is exceptionally fine, tiny silk stitches on smooth linen fabric, with scattered flowers and trees, a church or castle with birds perched on the chimneys, lions, stags, a peacock and two border patterns. Cross stitches are used throughout with satin stitches accenting the “eyes” in the peacock’s tail. The colors are a lovely range of pastels with browns and greens; the sky blue and coral shades are particularly attractive.

The sampler appears to be mounted on the old board (although it has not been examined out of the frame) with a neutral color paper between the sampler and the board. The fabric is loose and rippled on the surface but likely tacked down along the edges. The board is held in place with a few new nails in the frame and some tape.There are areas of deterioration to the ground fabric and holes of varying sizes; if the sampler were conservation mounted with matching linen underneath, the holes would be much less noticeable.

The sampler measures 12-1/2″ high by 13″ wide, with the framed size being 13-3/4″ high by 14-1/4″ wide. The bright gilded gesso frame dates from the mid 20th century, and while it has some small areas of damage, it’s very pretty and sturdy enough so the sampler is ready to hang. No glass. Shipping is included in the price. A signature will be required for delivery.