Embroidered Sampler
1830–50
Medium
Silk on linen, embroidered
Dimensions
24 1/2 x 20 3/4 in. (62.2 x 52.7 cm)
Classification
Sampler
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Gift in memory of Florence Baird Meyer, 1918
Accession Number
18.123.2
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of th-century American domestic arts with *Embroidered Sampler* Christiana Baird, created between 1830 and 1850. This charming silk-on-linen embroidery, measuring 24½ x 20¾ inches, exemplifies the samplers crafted by young girls as both educational exercises and personal milestones. Baird, likely a teenager honing her needlework skills, meticulously stitched alphabets, motifs, and decorative borders, showcasing the precision and patience required in an era when sewing was a vital accomplishment for women. The sampler bursts with lively natural imagery—vibrant birds, delica...