Mary E. Clark,
Woodstock, New Brunswick, Canada,
circa 1850

Sampler size:
19" x 15¾"

Price: $1950

Enlarged and Printer Version

Occasionally we are fortunate enough to come across Canadian samplers and we are pleased to offer this fine example worked in the town of Woodstock, New Brunswick. Although she did not date her work, Mary E. Clark, age 9 years old, fortunately made note of where she lived when she stitched her sampler. Worked in the Berlin work style, we can assume Mary completed her sampler circa 1850.

A handsome sampler, Miss Clark practiced her alphabets, colorfully coupling the letters. Her large decorative alphabet is of a style found mainly on Scottish sampler, with its decorative curlicues. Separated by an attractive band of elongated S's in red and beige, Mary stitched her name in large letters; however, she must have got a little overzealous and did not leave enough room for the K. She simply added a smaller K to the end, a block letter boldly worked in red.

A floral wreath encircles her finely worked inscription, accomplished in small silk stitches. It is surrounded by birds, butterflies and trees, and, worked in the style of Berlin work, is a rooster grounded on its own tuft of grass and a cat seated on a square pillow. Another inscription spans below a decorative diamond-patterned band, "Worked by M.E.C. aged 9 yrs." Mary Clark framed her work with a border of large geometric flowers on an undulating vine, with a thin blue checkerboard inner border.

Worked in wool on linen this sampler is in excellent condition. It has been conservation mounted and remains in its original mahogany veneer frame.

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