Sampler
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Cotton on linen
Dimensions
H. 10 3/4 x W. 12 5/8 inches (27.3 x 32.1 cm)
Classification
Textiles-Embroidered
Culture
German
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
From the Collection of Mrs. Lathrop Colgate Harper, Bequest of Mabel Herbert Harper, 1957
Accession Number
57.122.453
Art Historical Context
This delicate 19th-century German sampler, crafted by an unknown artist from cotton threads on a linen ground, measures 10 3/4 x 12 5/8 inches. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Department of European Sculpture and Decor Arts, it exemplifies the embroidered textiles that adorned homes and showcased personal skill across Europe. Donated through the bequest of Mabel Herbert Harper from the collection of Mrs. Lathrop Colgate Harper in 1957, it invites us to appreciate the quiet artistry of everyday craftsmanship. Samplers like this were typically created by young girls as educational ex...