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Sampler

A work made of wool, plain weave; embroidered with silk floss and silk yarns in back, chain, cretan, individual back, individual running, roman, satin, stem, and surface satin stitches; laid work, couching, and roumanian couching.
CC0 Public Domain Designation

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  • A work made of wool, plain weave; embroidered with silk floss and silk yarns in back, chain, cretan, individual back, individual running, roman, satin, stem, and surface satin stitches; laid work, couching, and roumanian couching.

Date:

1791

Artist:

Polly Bedford (American, born c. 1778/1779)
United States, Massachusetts, Marblehead

About this artwork

This very distinctive sampler is part of a group that cannot be identified with a specific schoolmistress but was certainly made in the seacoast town of Marblehead, Massachusetts. The elegantly dressed figures of the man with his hat in his hand and the lady holding flowers are reoccurring motifs found in other Marblehead samplers.

Status

Currently Off View

Department

Textiles

Artist

Polly Bedford (Maker)

Title

Sampler

Place

Massachusetts (Object made in)

Date  Dates are not always precisely known, but the Art Institute strives to present this information as consistently and legibly as possible. Dates may be represented as a range that spans decades, centuries, dynasties, or periods and may include qualifiers such as c. (circa) or BCE.

Made 1791

Medium

Wool, plain weave; embroidered with silk floss and silk yarns in back, chain, Cretan, individual back, individual running, Roman, satin, stem, and surface satin stitches; laid work, couching, and Roumanian couching

Inscriptions

Work'd.by.Polly.Bedford.in.the.Twelfth / year. of her. age. 1791.

Dimensions

42.9 × 43.7 cm (16 7/8 × 17 1/4 in.)

Credit Line

Bequest of Elizabeth R. Vaughan

Reference Number

1950.1130

IIIF Manifest  The International Image Interoperability Framework (IIIF) represents a set of open standards that enables rich access to digital media from libraries, archives, museums, and other cultural institutions around the world.

Learn more.

https://api.artic.edu/api/v1/artworks/107913/manifest.json

Extended information about this artwork

Object information is a work in progress and may be updated as new research findings emerge. To help improve this record, please email . Information about image downloads and licensing is available here.

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