Sampler
A girl’s practice embroidery with alphabet, numbers, a house and her name and age.
Samplers were part of girls’ education from the 17th to the 19th century. They show both skill and what girls were thought to need to learn. Large collections are in the Victoria and Albert Museum and the Cooper Hewitt in New York.
Materials: Silk thread on linen or wool tammy
Manufacture: Cross stitch and other stitches counted on the threads, after patterns handed down.
The alphabet and numbers in rows, and the girl’s name with the year and her age.
The border and small motifs such as trees, birds and houses.