Sampler
Unknown Artist
19th century
Medium
Silk on wool canvas
Dimensions
H. 26 3/8 x W. 12 5/8 inches 67 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
57.122.618
Art Historical Context
This exquisite 19th-century German, crafted by an unknown artist, exemplifies the artistry of embroidered textiles from Europe's domestic traditions. Measuring 26 3/8 x 12 5/8 inches (67 x 32.1 cm), it features vibrant silk threads worked onto a wool canvas—a durable ground that allowed for intricate stitching while highlighting the sheen and colorfastness of silk. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's of European Sculpture and Decor Arts, it entered the collection through the bequest of Mabel Herbert Harper in 1957, from her mother Mrs. Lathrop Colgate Harper. Samplers like this were mo...