Sampler
Unknown Artist
1771
Medium
Silk on linen
Dimensions
H. 22 3/8 x W. 9 3/8 inches (56.8 x 23.8 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
57.122.590
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite silk-on-linen sampler, crafted in Germany in 1771 by an unknown artist, exemplifies the intricate world of 18th-century. Measuring a slender 22 3/8 x 9 3/8 inches, its narrow, vertical format is typical of band samplers—strips designed to showcase a variety of stitches and motifs. Embroidered with vibrant silk threads, it likely features botanical designs, reflecting the era's fascination with nature and the natural world, as hinted by its plant motifs. Samplers like this served both practical and educational purposes, often created by young girls as a rite of passage to master...