Sampler
Unknown Artist
1807
Medium
Silk on wool canvas
Dimensions
H. 14 3/4 x W. 12 1/2 inches (37.5 x 31.8 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
57.122.484
Tags
Art Historical Context
This charming 1807 German sampler, embroidered in silk threads on a wool canvas, exemplifies the educational craftwork of young women in early 19th-century Europe. Measuring 14¾ x 12½ inches, it features delicate motifs of birds, houses, dogs and insignia—common symbols in samplers that often represented domestic ideals, nature, and family heritage. Created by an unknown artist, likely a girl honing her needlework skills, it reflects the period's emphasis on embroidery as both a practical accomplishment and a marker of virtue. Samplers like this one were staples in girls' education across Ger...