My favorite of these 18th to earliest 18th century samplers, typically the embroidery work of a child or young woman as she mastered her stitches, it is likely that the seated girl in blue dress and red slippers is a self-portrait of the girl who has sewing and painted her family and home herein. Perfectly preserved, it is beneath old laid glass (bubble/lines) and in the original thick wood gilded frame (12 3/4" x 11 1/4" x 1") and while it's evident it once had a paper back covering, both from the back view and from the amazing absence of loss to the silk, one can easily put another papered back to protect it. I can do it before sending out if our buyer asks. Glass is very clean, and I'm sure you'll be as thrilled with this one as I am. I found it in France. Thick long stitch and also chenille stitchery which the girl has mastered very well, indeed. No names on it, and no date but it is typical of 18th century, not later than turn of century 1800.
Very good to excellent condition for age and type. Rarely do we find a silk on silk embroidery in such fine quality and condition. Faces are painted by the girl who has then sewn her drawing of family and home (maybe church), landscape. Samplers were worked on to master a variety of embroidery methods, sometimes begun as very small girls. If this is her self portrait, the girl was likely about 12 when she completed this charming work of needlework art. No losses to note. Even the silk fabric remains supple, faces are painted on the silk, then all is embroidered. Colors are superb, little if any fading.
