Embroidered sampler
1806
Medium
Embroidered silk on linen
Dimensions
17 1/4 x 16 1/4 in. (43.8 x 41.3 cm)
Classification
Sampler
Culture
American
Department
The American Wing
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Funds from various donors, by exchange, 2004
Accession Number
2004.190
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the world of early 19th-century American domestic arts with *Embroidered Sampler* by Sally Cornelius, created in 1806. This delicate work, measuring 17¼ x 16¼ inches, features embroidered silk threads on a linen ground, showcasing the meticulous needlework skills expected of young women in colonial and early federal America. Housed in The American Wing of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, it exemplifies the sampler tradition—a rite of passage for girls aged 10 to 16, blending education, piety, and creativity. The composition bursts with vivid symbolism: Adam and Eve amid lush flowers,...